Forever and a Day
by Aldara Gaea
Summary: This was my conjectures on how Breaking Dawn was going to turn out. Now that we know, I can't really keep writing it... there's just no point in my view: I like to stick to cannon as much as possible. Everything I wrote for it is here, enjoy if you will.
1. Chapter 1: Announcement

_**A/N - **Ok, so this is my after Eclipse fanfic, so I suppose you could call it my version of Breaking Dawn but I didn't want to call it that coz then I'll start thinking about it as the real version, lol. Anyway, I'm just putting it out there to see if anyone is interested in reading it. Hope you enjoy it - I love EDWARD!!_

_Oh and I don't own Twilight, New Moon, Eclipse or any of the characters in them - they belong to the amazing Stephenie Meyer. Consider that 'ditto'ed for the whole of this fic!_

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**Forever and a Day**

I clung tightly to Edward's back as he literally flew through the woods to my house. The meadow was far behind us now and his every step took us closer to Charlie. What would he think about what we were going to tell him – what would he _do_? I shuddered and pressed my lips to Edward's neck.

The little light of the day was quickly fading now. In the last glimmers of light between the gaps in the thick canopy above, I looked at my left hand. The unobtrusive gold ring glinted at me. It really didn't look as bad there as I'd imagined – I could even grow to like it. It was, after all, a symbol of our love… our commitment to forever.

When we reached the edge of the forest, the wind suddenly ceased rushing past my face as Edward came to a halt. With gentle hands, he helped me down from his back and we stood there for a little while, his arms holding me close. He bent his face to mine and slowly brushed his lips up and down the line of my jaw. Behind him, light shone through the windows of the house and my heart beats quickened.

"Relax Bella," Edward chuckled, and his breath tickled my neck. "Just take a deep breath, you'll be fine."

I obeyed – filling my lungs with a shuddering breath and exhaling again noisily. Edward chuckled again, and inched toward my lips. I closed my eyes lazily, taking in his extra sweet scent as I breathed deeply once more. The gentle pressure of his lips on mine was comforting, and I sighed when he pulled away too soon.

"Let's just get this over with, then," I mumbled.

"I'll be right with you," Edward replied, pulling me along with him.

We reached the front of the house, and I paused. Although I'd left my truck at Edward's house, there it sat in its usual place on the driveway. I looked up at Edward and he laughed at the bewilderment on my face.

"Alice drove it back and told Charlie we were going for a walk," he explained as he persistently led me up the stairs.

I nodded, and my breath began to come shallower and faster as he reached the door and held it open for me. The sound of the TV in the living room was loud – Charlie was watching a game. When he heard the door slamming closed he turned around with a grin.

"There's pizza in the kitchen, kids," he said.

"Thanks Dad."

I made my way into the kitchen, but Edward didn't join me – he continued down the hall to join Charlie. I didn't like the unsettling feeling in my stomach as I changed directions to join him. Charlie looked up at me, as I joined Edward on the armchair, with a puzzled expression.

"Ah… Dad?" I cleared my throat nervously and Edward stealthily squeezed my hand. "We need to talk."

Charlie hit the mute button and continued to look at me expectantly.

"I'm listening," he prompted.

With another nervous cough, I opened my mouth... but the words wouldn't come. I looked frantically at Edward, then back at a confused Charlie. Edward chuckled and shook his head.

"Fine," he murmured to me. "Charlie, I would like to ask for your daughter's hand in marriage."

Charlie's face froze and he stared at Edward with slightly glazed eyes. I dropped my face into my hands with a moan. This was going to be a disaster.

"Excuse me?" he protested.

I could hear Edward's amused smile as he answered. "I'm asking you to make me the happiest man alive by allowing Bella to be my wife."

"I… she… you – I…" Charlie spluttered.

I carefully moved my hands from my face to see his expression. His eyes were popping in his face, which had quickly turned a scary shade of purple, and his jaw was swinging on its hinges. As I continued to watch him, his gaze turned from Edward to me. I cringed and attempted to smile at him.

"Bella," he finally said, his voice deadly low. "Can I have a word with you... alone?"

Again, I looked frantically up at Edward who, again, smiled at me angelically. I shook my head minutely as he slowly stood from the chair. Desperately, I held his hand as tightly as I could, though it wasn't difficult for him to pull free.

"I'll go get you some pizza Bella," he said pleasantly. "How many pieces would you like?"

I slumped back in the armchair in defeat. "Surprise me," I growled and stared at the floor, avoiding Charlie's eyes.

When Edward was gone, Charlie continued to stare at me. After a long moment of silence, I looked up at him guiltily. His face had relaxed a little, but he still looked murderous.

"Bella, have you lost your mind?"

I shook my head slowly, not trusting my voice. Charlie took a deep breath, and finally looked away from me. He looked restless; his eyes darted from the TV screen, to the pictures of me on the mantelpiece, to the floor, then back to my face.

"I can't believe this Bella – what are you thinking?" his voice was steadily getting louder and I wished that Jasper could be in the room to calm him down.

"Dad, calm down," I tried to reassure him, but he wouldn't be soothed.

"You're only 18 years old Bella – you only finished school a week ago for goodness sake!" My face turned hard and I shook my head.

"Dad," I barked, "stop right there." Charlie shut his mouth and looked me in the eye belligerently. "You know, Edward's just being nice about this. He's already asked me and I've already said yes."

Charlies eyes bulged again and I held my hand up in a sign to stop, knowing he was about to interrupt.

"No, hear me out Charlie – I'm serious." I paused and took a deep breath. "I love him Dad," I tried to convey even a small portion of the intense feelings I had for Edward.

I watched as Charlie shook his head. He exhaled loudly and ran his hand through his hair agitatedly.

"Bells, I don't know what to say," he complained. He looked at me and his eyes were pleading. "You can't be serious. You know how it turned out for your mother and I – are you sure you're ready for that kind of commitment?"

"I am serious Dad. Believe me – it's not like I haven't thought about this." I could feel tears starting, and I struggled to smile at him; I could see him caving in.

"But how do you know that this is what you want? You haven't seen anything yet – you're still my little girl!" he shook his head again and put his face in his hand. "I won't say no, Bella. I don't like this at all – and I can imagine what your mother will say – but if this is truly what you want, I'm not going to take it away from you."

Edward chose that moment to reappear. His pleasant smile was fixed, though I could see the radiant happiness in his scorched golden eyes and in his long white hands was a plate of hot pizza. He took a seat on the arm of my chair and handed me the food.

"Here's your pizza. Sorry I was gone so long, it took me a while to figure out how to use your microwave," he explained, completely straight-faced. I snorted as I picked up a slice of pizza and took a large bite. Edward looked at Charlie expectantly.

"Um… Well, Bella and I have talked," Charlie began uncomfortably, avoiding Edward's eyes, "and, though I don't like the whole idea very much… I will not stop you from marrying my daughter."

I found it almost painful watching Edward's face light up with unbridled joy. But when he turned his grin, the crooked one that I could look at forever, onto me my heart melted. I knew that my answering smile was sappy, but somehow it didn't matter as he leaned down and gently kissed me.

I wrapped my arms around his neck to make the moment last a little longer and his lips went to my ear. His breath tickled as he whispered so that Charlie couldn't hear.

"You're mine! I wasn't sure if I could manage it, but soon I'll be yours and you'll be mine forever!"


	2. Chapter 2: Bother

_**A/N - **Ok cool. Thank you sooo much to everyone who is reading this fic, and especially to those of you who have reviewed - they make me feel all warm and fuzzy. lol, anyway I'm soooo sorry that it's taken this long for me to update, and I'm doubly sorry that this is such a short chapter but the next one is a doozy, so hold in there! Just putting it out there - if there's anyone who's willing to beta or if you see something that doesn't sound right while you're reading, just let me know so that I can fix it. Creative criticism is very welcome!_

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In the time between Edward leaving and Charlie going to bed, I moved around in a daze. I wasn't sure which feeling was stronger – exultant bliss or absolute horror. As I got ready for bed the shift from one feeling to the other was sudden and unpleasant – one minute I'd sigh peacefully at the thought of having Edward for my own forever, the next I'd shudder in disgust at the thought of soon being a married woman.

I lay on my bed in the dark and listened to the gentle music coming from my CD player; it was the one with Edward's compositions on it. Absently, I twisted my ring around my finger as I stared at the ceiling. Telling Charlie about our… engagement – I forced myself to think the word – hadn't gone quite as horrifically as I'd imagined. At least Charlie had acceded to my decision without _too_ much of a temper. But I had to tell Renée in the morning.

I groaned and closed my eyes; I could hear the sound of her voice as she reacted to my news and I tried to block it. The CD player changed songs and I concentrated on the intense cascade of notes that wove in the air – it was my lullaby.

As I let the sweet melody swim around and fill my body, I found a pair of cool arms suddenly wrapped around me. I smiled and turned slightly so that I could snuggle into Edward's perfect chest. He pressed his face into my hair and I allowed myself to completely relax in his embrace.

"What's wrong Bella?" he murmured into my hair.

I shrugged and nestled myself closer. His face moved down to my ear and, after smoothly brushing my hair out of the way with his cool hand, continued down to my collar bone. Despite myself, I shivered in delight at his slight touch and my heart jumped erratically. I could feel him silently chuckle.

"I don't think I'd ever get tired of that," he murmured. "Not if we could live like this for a million years."

"We?" I asked excited at the word.

I felt Edward's smile flash onto his face and he answered me as he playfully kissed his way back up my throat and across my cheek.

"Yes… we… as in you… and I… together… forever… as husband… and wife."

At the mention of our impending marriage, I felt myself tense up again. Again I heard Renée's sharp objections after I told her the news resonating in my mind. Edward pulled back and I groaned. He held my face in his hand, waiting, so I opened my eyes to meet his scorched gold gaze.

"What is it?" he inquired gently, his expression tender.

"I have to tell Renée tomorrow," I complained. A small frown created a rivet in the perfect skin of his forehead and he smoothed his thumb across my cheek.

"She really bothers you, doesn't she?"

I continued to stare into his deep golden eyes, nodding slightly. The frown suddenly disappeared from his face and was replaced by my favourite crooked grin. Tightly, but gently, he pulled me into a comforting embrace and kissed the top of my head.

"Don't worry, my little coward," he murmured, "I'll be right with you the whole time." He chuckled quietly when I groaned. "Would you rather I break the news to her too?"

"It wouldn't matter – she'll still chew my ear off," I mumbled morosely.

He sniggered again and I listened carefully to the sound. I loved the sound of Edward's laugh more than any other in the world; it meant that he was really happy. At least one of us will get some enjoyment out of this whole mess, I thought cynically.

Edward sighed, and moved so that he could see my face once more.

"There's really nothing to worry about, Bella," he reassured me. He could see I wasn't convinced and he tried again. "Perhaps you could do with a little brainwashing?"

His long white fingers moved to my face and softly relaxed the worried expression I knew must be lining my face. I put my own hand to his face and lightly traced along the perfect planes of his face – the perfect arch of his eyebrows, the cool shadows under his eyes, and the long straight line of his nose. When I reached his lips, his hand was suddenly wrapped around mine and he kissed each of my fingertips.

"I love you, my Bella," he whispered, his smooth voice hypnotic. "Go to sleep."


	3. Chapter 3: Surprise?

_**A/N - **Thanks for everyone who's reading this! I'm on holidays right now, so updates might come a little quicker than normal - I try to keep a chapter ahead of myself and that's a little difficult when I've got school. So, anywho, I'm a bit of a dribbler (just like the amazing Mrs Meyer!) so this chapter rambles a bit before it gets to the important bit... but there is always an important bit in all my rambling, so keep on guard. lol. Enjoy - and please review, I love to hear your opinions on the direction I'm taking!_

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I didn't feel much better about what was going to happen when I woke in the morning. As I got out of bed and got ready for the day, I grumbled and complained about everything. Charlie was already at work, so Edward sat in my rocking chair in the corner, watching me in amusement – which didn't help my mood. I turned to face him and crossed my arms petulantly.

"Mind telling me what's so terribly funny?"

Edward chuckled. "You, of course – have I ever told you how adorable you look when you're upset?"

I turned my nose up in the air and stomped sulkily to the bathroom to get dressed. He was no longer in my room when I returned and I was even more irritated with him. I made my bed and started to clear away the piles of clothes that had accumulated around my room when the smell of cooking reached me.

"Edward," I mumbled and thumped downstairs to the kitchen to make sure he wouldn't burn the house down.

He stood over a frypan at the stove, the old electric kettle was beginning to steam and I could see two pieces of toast pushed down in the toaster. I sighed and moved to take over but Edward shook his head at me, a large smile on his face.

"Sit down Grumpy, it'll be ready in a minute."

I opened my mouth to object and he raised his eyebrows at me. Reluctantly I sat at the table, facing him, and watched him cook my breakfast with my arms crossed tightly across my chest. I had to admit that it was pretty nice of him to cook breakfast for me, taking into account that I hadn't been very pleasant to him lately. The smell of eggs and bacon wafted around me tantalisingly, but Edward kept his back turned to me, silently watching them sizzle in the pan. Then the toaster popped up and he was suddenly moving at top speed.

He slid the contents of the pan onto a plate with one hand and grabbed the toast with the other just as the electric kettle clicked off, steam boiling out of the spout. Before I knew it, the plate was sitting in front of me and a scorching mug of coffee appeared soon after. Edward stood back with his arms on his hips, a satisfied smile on his face as he watched me inspect the food. It looked as perfect as it smelled. I looked back up at him to thank him, but he held up his hand.

"Almost forgot," I managed to hear before he disappeared from the room.

He was back in a second and in his hand was a beautiful rose, which he laid gently beside my knife and fork. He grinned even wider than before – reminding me of an overenthusiastic puppy. I couldn't help but smile in return and I picked up my fork to begin eating.

It was delicious, of course. Just when I thought that there was something that I could do better than Edward, he turns out to be a fantastic cook. The idea brought my bad mood back and I allowed a scowl to creep onto my face again. Edward, who had joined me at the table and was intently watching me eat, noticed my expression and I saw a brief flash of irritation in his eyes.

"My cooking can't be that bad," he teased, pretending to be wounded. "The least you could do is pretend that it tastes alright."

I shook my head at him and finished my mouthful. "It's all perfect," I corrected him, "that's the problem."

A cheeky grin spread across his face as he realised why my surly attitude had returned – I'd often complained that he seemed to be good at everything. I chose to ignore him and continued eating, staring out the window into the thin cloud cover outside. As I watched the clouds roil gently in the sky, my annoyance with Edward evaporated and I felt a little bad for acting so childishly. The truth was, I was terrified of having to make a certain phone call.

From the corner of my eye, I could see Edward staring at my face with a calculating expression. I reached for my mug of coffee and took a long sip, then sighed as I placed it carefully in front of me again. I could see that he knew exactly what was behind my less than attractive behaviour and I tried to smile at him reassuringly.

"Bella," he murmured, putting his finger under my chin then running it slowly up my jaw. "You can't really be that worried about how Renée is going to react?"

He smiled at me encouragingly and I shrugged noncommittally, looking back out the window. "You don't know her like I do."

Edward grinned again and gently pulled me back around to face him. He pulled the fork out of my relaxed hand and piled it with egg and bacon before holding it up to my mouth. I knew he was trying to distract me and I smiled, reluctantly allowing him to feed me the rest of my breakfast. But, though he was usually so good at distractions, I was still worried when my plate and mug were empty and Edward got up to quickly wash them.

It was still such a horrific idea to me – I was Edward's fiancé. It wasn't the fact that it meant we would soon be joined to each other forever that bothered me – on the contrary, that was the only part I liked. But the concept of getting married so soon after graduating, so young, had always been absolutely repulsive to me. Maybe if Renée hadn't been the one to teach me to be so reluctant to get married, I wouldn't be so worried about what she was going to say when I told her that I was going to do exactly what she'd so fervently warned me against.

As I contemplated my dilemma, I realised that I'd been staring at the phone. Edward, finished with the dishes, was leaning against the counter next to it, with a strangely amused expression on his face. I reluctantly got up and moved to stand next to him.

The phone was already in his hand and I took it from him and put it to my ear, before dialling the familiar number. Edward was smiling at me supportively, twisting the end of my ponytail between his fingers, as I listened to the phone ringing. It rang longer than normal – I was just about to suggest to Edward that we should try later when, after the seventh ring, Renée finally answered.

"Hello?" she sounded breathless and I could tell from her tone that she was in one of her unpredictable moods. I almost hung up the phone, but Edward smiled at me again and my resolve hardened; it was now or never.

"Hey Mum, it's me Bella!" I said, as cheerfully as I could.

Renée's voice brightened instantly. "Oh hi, Bella honey! How's my grown up, graduated girl?"

"Yeah, I'm great," I answered, wondering how I was going to bring up the subject of Edward's and my engagement. Somehow, I didn't think that 'Hey Mum, I just thought I'd let you know that I'm getting married to Edward this summer' would go down too well.

"Oh that's good, sweetie. I'm so sorry I couldn't make it down to see you – but with Phil's leg in a full cast, he can't get around well enough to look after himself and I couldn't just leave him. I hope you weren't too upset!"

"No, no that's fine Mum. It wasn't really anything spectacular, I don't even remember most of it," I assured her quickly, remembering my relief at finding out that Renée wouldn't be able to make it to Forks for my graduation, which would have put her in danger.

"I knew you would understand, Bella," Renée sighed. "So, what was it that you wanted to talk to me about?"

My mum's sudden change of topic startled me a little. I suppose it wasn't really very realistic of me to think that Renée wouldn't realise that there was something I had to tell her, but I had hoped that it wasn't so obvious that there was. I sighed quietly – now was as good a time as any.

"Well," I started hesitantly, "there was something." I cleared my throat nervously and Edward slid his hand around my waist in an encouraging hug. "Mum, I've got a… great piece of news." I struggled to find an easy way to say it, and couldn't.

Renée surprised me again as she laughed, a little nervously. "I've got something to tell you too! But you go first, darling."

I hesitated again, still not sure how to say what I wanted to say, but I was curious about what Renée had to tell me. The silence grew a little too long, and I could almost see Renée shifting in her seat impatiently, waiting for me to spit it out. I squared my shoulders and took a deep breath.

"Mum, Edward asked me to marry him… and I said yes."

For a while, the only sound from Renée was a huff of air, which I assumed was a sigh. The silent seconds seemed to stretch for hours. Then, I heard her chuckle.

"Well, it's about time," she said cheerfully. The grin on her face was audible and I heard another snigger behind me. I looked up at Edward, who was shaking with suppressed laughter, with an arch look, barely registering Renée's voice as she continued.

"I was actually half expecting you to tell me you were getting married when you came up to visit me – it seemed so strange that you just suddenly decided to fly up here! And I know you laughed it off as a silly Mum thing, but I meant it when I said that there was something about you and Edward together… I just had a feeling that you'd be telling me you were engaged soon."

I blinked blankly a few times, trying to process what she was saying – this wasn't the response I'd been expecting at all. Edward continued to chuckle at my reaction and I realised that he must have known about Renée's suspicions. I ignored him.

"But… aren't you upset with me… or something?" I asked. I had been so sure that she was going to chew my ear off for hours before she'd accept what I was saying. Renée clicked her tongue.

"Well, I can't say that I completely approve Bella. You know that getting married straight after graduating didn't exactly work out with Charlie and I… and I'd hate for the same thing to happen to you, sweetheart. But at the same time, I've never seen anything like you and Edward." She paused and I could almost see the thoughtfully confused expression on her face. "Somehow I just know that you and Edward will be different, you need each other, and I'm not going to stop that."

"Thank you, Mum," I managed to say. Once again, Renée's uncanny perceptions had come amazingly close to the truth.

"So, have you decided on when the big day's going to be?"

I smiled, noting the badly suppressed excitement in Renée's voice. Whether she was objected to it or not, a wedding was obviously still a wedding and something worth getting excited over. I wondered how far her resigned acceptance could be stretched.

"We're not too sure just yet… but probably within the next month," I answered carefully. I didn't miss Renée's sharp intake of breath, but her reply was composed enough.

"Oh… really? Well, you just let me know when and where and Phil and I will be there honey," she assured me.

"Thank you mum… I wish you were here so I could hug you." I paused as she laughed and I remembered that she'd said that there was something she was going to say. "So, what was your big news?"

Renée coughed, a little nervously I thought, and I looked up at Edward. He seemed just as mystified as I was.

"I… Now Bella please keep an open mind. This is really important to Phil and I, and I hope it will be for you too." She paused and took a deep breath. "Bella – I'm going to have a baby."


	4. Chapter 4: Hard

_**A/N - **Soooo sorry about how long it's taken me to update guys!! But you'll get over it. I know it was a bit of a cliffy I left you on, so here's how Bella reacts!! Thanks to everyone's fantastic reviews - they are my air. Hope you enjoy this!!_

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My mind went blank with shock, and if it hadn't been for Edward standing directly behind me I think I would have fallen over. Wasn't saying goodbye to Renée going to be hard enough as it was? And now, just when I thought that I was ready to leave everyone behind… I was going to be an older sister? I knew that I should say something – my shock had glued my tongue to the top of my mouth. Renée couldn't know how much this news hurt me.

"Mum… that's fantastic," I managed to say, and I hoped that she wouldn't notice the note of hysteria in my falsely ecstatic tone. Edward hugged me closer to him and soothingly pressed his cool lips to kiss the hollow beneath my jaw as I struggled to control my voice.

"Oh Bella, I hope it's not too much of a shock! You know you'll always be my little girl, and just because I have another little one doesn't mean I won't have time for you too!" Renée gushed, evidently interpreting my meagre response as childish reluctance to share her affection.

"Yeah, I understand Mum," I assured her quickly, "I could never think that! I… I just don't know what to say."

I could feel tears forming in my eyes and I hoped that I could manage to finish the conversation, hopefully on a reassuring note, before they spilled over. The last thing I wanted was to feel the need to explain to Renée that I was crying because I'd never be able to spend any time with my younger sibling.

"Sweetheart, I knew you'd understand! You're the best daughter a mother could ask for, and I promise I'll make sure we get some extra special time together – just you and me – before you have your wedding and I have the baby."

"That would be great Mum," I replied, finding an extra reserve of strength in comforting my flighty mother. I tried desperately to think of an excuse to get off the phone, but Renée beat me to it.

"Well darling," she said reluctantly, "I really have to go now. Phil has been dancing around the hall, worrying about getting to the doctor's in time." I grabbed at that as fast as I could.

"Ok Mum, you'd better go. I'll send you an invitation to the wedding when we decide on the details," I told her, not a little awkwardly. "I'm really happy for you and Phil," I added fervently.

Renée's laugh trilled delightedly down the phone line and I smiled weakly at the thought of how radiant she must look. "I'll call you when I get it, sweetheart, so that we can arrange a mummy-daughter date. I love you Bella."

"I love you too, Mum," I replied, the tears brimming higher in my eyes.

As soon as the line went dead, I flung around into Edward's arms and buried my face in his chest. He gently pulled the phone out of my hands and placed it back into its cradle before he swept me into his arms and carried me back to my room.

Almost as quickly as it had started, my frenzied sobbing died down as I got over my initial shock at Renée's announcement. Edward tried to shift me from his lap to a more comfortable position on my bed, but I stubbornly clung to his neck. I did manage to pull my face away from his tear-stained shirt to look into his worried face, taking a few calming breaths as I did so.

"Are you alright?" he asked softly, smoothing his fingers across the lines in my face to erase my pained expression.

I nodded and sniffed a little forlornly. "Yeah, I'm fine," I choked, and cleared my throat. "I just wasn't expecting that."

Edward's fingers continued to trace the planes of my face, and their coolness helped me to regain my composure. I took another shuddering breath and closed my eyes.

"This is wrong." Edward's voice was unexpected and it rang with pain.

My eyes flashed open and his brow was furrowed in a frown. For a moment – a moment that seemed to last for eternity – I saw a familiar and distressing hardness in his eyes. I shook my head frantically and clung tighter to his neck. He avoided my eyes, staring into the space over my shoulder and I put my hands to his face in a desperate effort to get him to look at me.

"Edward," I begged. "Edward – look at me."

His eyes were still a little distant, but at least he looked at me. I could feel the ghost of the hole in my chest stirring and I didn't even try to hide the terror that it brought with it. I kissed the corner of his lips, trying to remove the woodenness that was still in his expression.

His voice wavered as he finally spoke. "But can't you see it, Bella? How can I do this to you – take you away from all of this? I'm not worth that."

"Don't you dare Edward," I growled at him now. "Don't you even think about hurting me like that again."

Those seemed to be the magic words. His eyes suddenly focused onto mine and he registered the devastation and terror in my face. Suddenly, his lips were on mine. I let all my longing and fear into the movement of my mouth with his and felt it quickly evaporate away. Gently, Edward broke off the kiss and pulled my head to rest on his shoulder.

"I am so sorry, Bella my love," his voice was so deep that I felt what he was saying more than I actually heard it. "Can you ever forgive me?"

I wrapped my arms around his neck once more and felt tears flowing into his already saturated shirt. He stroked my hair and made soothing noises until my sobs again subsided. Today definitely wasn't my day.

"I wish you could understand what you mean to me," I mumbled.

Edward chuckled cynically. "I think that I am starting to get an idea," he responded. "It's taken me long enough, hasn't it?"

I looked up at him and nodded, giving him a watery smile. He brushed away the tears that still clung to my cheeks. I closed my eyes and allowed myself to relax, letting my gasping return to normal breaths.

"I love you," I whispered. "No matter how hard it gets for me to leave behind everything that comes with being human, it will be worth it to spend the rest of forever with you."

He didn't reply and I opened my eyes to see his reaction. I was greeted with the most tender and loving smile that existed in the entire universe. If that was what I had to look forward to every day for eternity, then I'd take it. And maybe having a younger sibling wouldn't be such a bad thing – even if I would never get to know them.

"You know," I said, "this baby might be a blessing in disguise."

"How so?" Edward's smile broadened for some reason I could only guess at.

"Well, if Renée has another child – even if I don't get to spend any time with it, maybe Renée won't be as hurt by never seeing be again."

He chuckled and kissed the tip of my nose affectionately.

"That's my Bella," he murmured, "always more worried about others than herself." He paused and gave me a calculating look. "You know, you don't have to give up time with this baby entirely. I'm quite willing to give you a year or two if you need it."

That managed to make me laugh and I shook my head. Trust Edward to try and turn this to his advantage. I sighed and settled more comfortably into his cool arms.

"No, Edward. I'm ready for this, and I'm not going to back down now."

Edward shrugged and kissed the top of my head. I spent the rest of the day curled up in his lap. Sometimes we talked in quiet murmurs, even though Charlie was at work so we didn't have to. But most of the time we were silent, just enjoying the feeling of being together.


	5. Chapter 5: Perfect

_**A/N – **It's another update!! I hope you're excited guys – it's a big one… and probably the last for a little while. Yes, unfortunately my holidays have come to an end and I have to concentrate on my school work once again. Do not fear, though – only a few more weeks and I'm done forever!! party Anyway – brownie points to all my readers, particularly those special ones among you who review and tell me where I'm going right or wrong. I really appreciate your thoughts, so keep them coming!!_

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Once the unpleasantness of telling Charlie and Renée about our wedding was over, I was in a much better mood – and it seemed to be catching. Charlie didn't even complain when Edward turned up to take me to his house early the next morning. In fact, he tried to be nice when he answered the door. 

"Good morning Edward," he greeted, a little stiffly but at least he was making the effort.

"Hello Charlie," Edward replied. "Is Bella out of bed yet?"

Charlie managed to chuckle as he let Edward past. "Yeah, only just. She should be down for breakfast any minute now."

Actually, I had raced downstairs as soon as I heard the doorbell ring, but I had paused in the kitchen to listen to them talk politely as they made they way – startlingly slowly – down the hall. When they finally reached the kitchen, Edward's face lit up with a smile and he moved quickly around the table to give me a short kiss.

"Good morning, Sleepy-head," he greeted, pulling me away from my half-started breakfast and steering me into a chair. "Are you ready for a day of wedding planning with Alice?"

I groaned loudly, causing both of them to chuckle – clearly I was missing something. I eyed them both suspiciously and Edward winked as he placed a bowl of cereal and a tall glass of orange juice on the table and motioned for me to eat.

"You'd better be quick – Alice might get overexcited and come looking for us. I don't know how long the rest of them could hold her back for."

Charlie laughed as he struggled into his sheriff jacket and buckled his gun to his belt. Then he picked up his keys and gave me a quick kiss on the cheek while I started eating my cereal. Hopefully it wouldn't be my last meal.

"Relax Bella – I'm sure Alice has some great ideas," he said confidently. "And don't forget that this isn't supposed to be hell… enjoy yourself."

He chuckled again at my martyred expression as I spooned more cereal into my mouth. Affectionately, he ruffled my hair and made his way to the door.

"Are you going to be home in time to cook dinner?" he asked over his shoulder, keys bouncing in his hand. I quickly swallowed my mouthful.

"Yeah, I should be," I half choked. "Alice is doing the hard work. All I really get to do is say yes or no. My only problem will be trying to keep her on the right track – you know how Alice gets when she has her mind set on something."

Charlie nodded and threw me one last smile. "Well, you kids have fun."

The front door snapped shut behind him and I soon heard the cruiser's engine drone to life. I turned to Edward with a quizzical look, another spoon of cereal half-way to my mouth. He smiled back at me innocently.

"I wasn't joking about Alice," he prompted.

"Am I missing something?"

His grin broadened and he shook his head a little. "What are you afraid of?" he teased and my eyes widened in surprise. He chuckled. "It's nothing – Charlie's finally accepted that there's no way he's going to get rid of me, that's all."

I looked deep into his eyes, but I didn't detect any hesitation as he answered. I smiled tentatively and Edward looked pointedly at the still raised spoon in my hand, but I ignored it.

"I'm not finished," I told him. "I… I just wanted to say sorry for how I treated you yesterday."

He shook his head again and briefly touched his lips to mine. "You were worried, I understand. Besides… I wasn't on my best behaviour either, so you could say we're even."

I sighed, knowing it was useless to complain that he was, once again, turning everything to be his fault. Quickly, I finished my cereal and then ran upstairs to finish getting ready while Edward rinsed the dishes.

When we reached the white mansion in its large meadow there was no one in sight. That made me nervous. Edward laughed at my apprehensive expression as he stopped the car and sped around to open my door. I climbed out slowly and squinted around – searching for some sign of life. Edward just laughed again and pulled me into the house.

As soon as the door was opened, I knew where everyone was. The open space that doubled as an entry and living room was a hive of activity. I could feel my face heating up as I watched Alice waltzing around the room with a heavy-looking black folder clutched in her arms and a pen cocked behind her ear. Everyone else appeared to be on the phone and their musical voices hummed like a small choir warming up for a performance.

"What on earth is this?" I asked horrified. The sound of my voice seemed to alert Alice to my presence and she danced across the room.

"I told you Alice was excited," Edward chuckled.

Alice's smile was dazzling as she bounced up onto her toes to peck me on the cheek. "Oh, Bella I'm so glad you're here!" she tittered excitedly, dragging me away from Edward. "I've been putting ideas together since you said I could plan the wedding-" suddenly she hugged me tightly around the waist and I patted her head.

"Thank you so much Bella – I promise this is going to be the most perfect wedding ever!" she squealed. "Anyway, I've got a few things to run past you. I don't think you'll mind anything I've decided on so far, but Edward insists that I have to let you have the final word…" she shot Edward an irritated scowl and I laughed.

Rosalie suddenly appeared at Alice's other side with a large stack of paper clenched in one hand and a few loose sheets waving in the other. Alice became immediately businesslike and ruffled through the pages in her folder, searching for something.

"I've found a few designs that would go perfectly with Bella's dress," Rosalie informed her. Alice took the offered papers and examined each page, singling a few out of the small pile.

"We don't want white for the bridesmaids," she said, handing a few pages back to Rosalie who added them to the large stack she still had in her tight grasp, "it would take the focus away from Bella." I grumbled a little at that – in my opinion the less focus on me, the better – but I didn't say anything and Alice ignored me.

"Try calling these designers and seeing what kinds of waiting lists they have… and it might be a good idea to see what sizes they have too," she added thoughtfully. Rosalie took back the approved pieces of paper, phone already in hand and Alice turned back to me.

"Come on Bella," she said, tugging on my arm again, "we'll settle down somewhere a little quieter - in the dining room might be best – and I'll go through everything with you."

Edward followed and we all took a seat at the dark wooden table. At once, Alice was spreading paper across its surface in front of us, talking at top speed.

"I noticed that you liked the older style of your dress, Bella, so I thought we should go for a new-age vintage theme. I thought this place would be perfect." She pushed a couple of pictures out of the mess so that I could look at them more closely.

They showed various views of an old stone cathedral. A thin red carpet led between rows of wooden pews, the ends of which were adorned with garlands of roses and lace, up to an elaborate gold and white altar. Stained glass windows threw brilliant colours across the entire scene and the walls were carved with flowers and small angels. I wrinkled my nose instinctively.

"It's not… too bad, I suppose," I told her, not wanting to hurt her feelings, "but I was hoping for something a little less… formal?"

Alice's laugh was like a wind-chime as she instantly swept the pictures away and placed them in a neat pile away from the rest. Edward rolled his eyes at her – obviously responding to her thoughts.

"I thought that might be the case," she told me easily, separating another lot of pictures from the spread. "Maybe something like these would be better?" I'd barely glanced at them when she nodded and pulled more paper and photos out of the messy spread and added them to the tidy discard pile. "I thought so," she repeated.

I looked more closely at the pictures in front of me. Each one was different, but the general theme was the same – a short isle running down the middle of a few rows of chairs sitting on the grass and ending at a delicate podium or a flowery arbour. They were all simple but beautiful.

Alice laughed again. "So it looks like we're in for an outdoor wedding then," she said, pulling the photos away from me and stowing them in her folder. "In that case, I'll have to look out for a perfect day. Obviously it can't be sunny – sorry about that, Bella, but it can't be helped – yet not too cloudy either or it could be awfully depressing. Hold on…"

Her face went vacant as she searched through the future and I looked at Edward, my eyebrow quirked quizzically. He smiled, my favourite crooked smile, and answered my unspoken question.

"She was hoping you might let her get away with the first option anyway," he told me smugly.

Alice's eyes eventually came back into focus and she pulled out a little black calendar book and flipped through it. She stopped at a page in the middle and I looked at the date as she circled it several times.

Monday 16th July.

I felt the blood drain from my face and my eyes bugged out as I stared at the page. My mouth felt suddenly very dry, and I don't think I would have answered Edward's worried "What's wrong, Bella?" even if I could. I struggled to take a breath and looked up at Alice's pixie face.

"Alice…" I finally managed to squeak. "That's not even a month away."

Alice shrugged, seemingly unconcerned as she removed yet more pieces of now irrelevant paper out of the mass and stacked them on the growing discard pile. She smiled at me and patted my hand reassuringly.

"Don't worry, Bella – it will be perfect!"

That seemed to be her catch phrase that day. Every time I baulked at one of her more outrageous suggestions, she'd just smile confidently and tell me it was all going to be wonderful. How could I fight with that kind of conviction? Besides, the degree of awful she went to wasn't quite as bad as I'd been anticipating so, more often than not, I simply laid down and hoped that she wouldn't squash me too much as she walked all over me.

All the same, I was relieved when I was released from Alice's grasp and allowed to go home for the night.


	6. Chapter 6: Invited

_**A/N – **__It's finally here!! I am soooo sorry guys – I know that I promised to give you this chapter before I started NaNoWriMo, but has anyone noticed that Edward is one stubborn little character? Nutting out what he wanted to say in this chapter was like drawing blood from a stone… hahahaha excuse the pun! Anyway, I got it out of him eventually (the story, not the blood…) and I was finally able to finish this chapter. YAY! Hope you enjoy it… it's kinda a bit of a filler-inner, but at least its forward progress on the storyline.

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The next day wasn't so bad… in some ways. At the very least, I wasn't bombarded with a seeming endless list of questions and decisions within a short period of time. Because the date Alice had decided on was so close, she was anxious to get the invitations out of the way as soon as possible. She practically pounced on me as soon as Edward stopped the car and we were soon settled comfortably in the living room.

Unlike the day before, the rest of the family seemed to be doing their own thing; obviously they had finished making the necessary bookings and arrangements in a much shorter time than any normal person – or even team of people – could. When I was comfortably curled into Edward's side on the couch, Alice snapped open her folder and pulled out a few blank sheets of paper.

"Guest list today," she announced, "and then you can look at the stationary designs I've chosen and tell me which one you like best so we can order it." She pulled her pen out and looked at me expectantly. "So… who's coming?"

Suddenly I knew that this wasn't going to be as different from the previous day as I'd started to hope. I sighed.

"Well, obviously there will be all of you," I started. "And then there's Charlie, Renée and Phil."

Alice looked like she was going to make a smart remark about stating the obvious, but I caught Edward glaring at her from the corner of my eye, and for a moment I was sure that I could feel his chest vibrating in an inaudible growl. She just shrugged and wrote down the names. After a long pause I continued.

"I suppose we should invite some of my school friends too." I cringed at the idea, but carried on. "Angela and Ben, definitely. Jessica would want to come, and Mike too I guess…"

I suddenly lost momentum. There was one other group of friends who I would have loved to invite, but I knew there was no point. Alice looked up at me critically.

"That's not very many people Bella," she pointed out, clearly disappointed. I shrugged.

"I did say I only wanted a small wedding," I lamely tried to excuse my lack of imagination.

I expected her to roll her eyes at me or something before throwing some more names at me, so it took me by surprise when her face suddenly crumbled into a dejected pout.

"I suppose you did," she agreed sadly, flipping forlornly through her folder to put the pitifully short list away. That had me instantly back tracking.

"I'm sorry Alice, don't be like that," I apologised. "I'm just not very good at this – can't you help me think of some more people to invite?"

She shook her head and snapped the rings of the folder open. "No, I understand Bella. You did say you had veto over the guest list, so I won't argue" she sniffed for good measure, though we both knew she couldn't cry.

I hurriedly jumped up and sat next her, inwardly berating myself for the guilt I felt – I knew exactly what she was doing, but it didn't seem to matter. It wouldn't hurt me to let her have her fun. Like I'd already realised – it was all varying degrees of awful anyway.

"Come on Alice," I plead. "You know I want more people there – I just don't know who else would want to come. Will you please help me?"

Instantly, her face lit up and she had the pen and paper ready once more. Edward sighed and shook his head. Alice just poked her tongue at him and began to speak at top speed.

"There really aren't that many people in Forks, Bella – you could probably invite the entire town and I'm sure they'd all be interested in coming; Chief Swan's daughter getting married and all," she said excitedly. I didn't even get the opportunity to do more than gasp in horror before she laughed. "Don't worry Bella, I'm only teasing!"

I humphed and dashed back to my seat with Edward. He pulled me close into the circle of his arms and kissed my forehead.

"How about we just settle for this year's graduates and their families?" he suggested. "That should make enough people to be a crowd, but not so many that it will be overwhelming."

I nodded. I would know most of the guests, by sight at least. I looked up at Alice, who was now energetically scribbling down names. I didn't even bother asking how she knew the names of every single person who'd been in our grade – it's not like ours was a very big school.

Once the guest list was done, Alice showed me the various stationary designs that she'd thought went well with our theme. They all sported floral designs and writing in flowing calligraphy and I thought they were all decidedly tacky. I chose the one that looked the simplest – the flowers were printed on layers of opaque paper that were attached to a heavy parchment-like paper.

Alice, of course, didn't seem surprised by my choice; though I did notice she looked a little wistful as she tossed a particularly extravagant set of expensive-looking floral-printed paper and red ribbons into the cardboard box that had become our discard pile.

As Edward drove me home that afternoon, he was very quiet. I watched him as he watched the road for a change – a sure sign that he was thinking about something that he wanted to discuss with me, but wasn't sure of how I would react. I waited patiently, knowing he would bring it up when he was ready. He seemed to realise that he was acting strangely, as he soon sighed and looked at me warily.

"Is Alice irritating you yet?"

I giggled and shook my head. "Actually, she's been a lot better than I expected," I replied. "Maybe this whole getting married thing won't be so bad, after all."

He smiled affectionately at my attempt to lighten his mood, and then returned to staring out the windshield. I noticed he was driving slower than normal and I took one of his hands off the steering wheel, squeezing it tightly.

"Was there something you wanted to talk to me about?" I prompted, gently.

He tried to blow it off as nothing with a shrug of his shoulders, but I continued to stare at him expectantly and he finally looked at me again, concern in his eyes.

"You don't have to answer me if you don't want to," he warned. "I just thought it was odd and I wondered…" his eyes radiated concern as he watched my face, "why you didn't want to invite any of the Quilutes."

I knew he was asking after one person in particular and I instantly rejected the twinge of pain that flared in that fissure in my heart from thinking about him – the pain from when it had split in two was still raw.

Jacob.

Of course, I wished desperately that he would come – I did love him and, even though it wasn't enough, I did want to be able to share my happiness with him. But, at the same time, I knew that the desire was totally self-centred – and hadn't I already hurt him enough with my selfishness? Wasn't it bad enough that I had let him live with false hopes, and for so long, only to shatter them when I realised that I couldn't have both of the men I loved? I could feel tears of frustration welling in my eyes and I shook my head in an attempt to clear them away.

"I didn't think any of them would want to come," I muttered and I looked back into Edward's golden eyes pleadingly. "I don't want to cause any more problems. There's been enough damage caused by me."

The car came to a stop, and I realised that we had reached my house already. Only my truck was parked in our driveway, Charlie wasn't home yet. Edward continued to gaze at me in concern. He must have realised that I was talking about one person in particular, and he cut the pretence.

"Don't you think you should at least give him the opportunity to decide, Bella?" he pressed.

I shook my head again and looked down at my hands in my lap. How could he still not understand – I'd caused Jacob pain. Jake had been there for me when I was in desperate need of someone – he'd been the sunlight in the darkest time in my life, he'd reassembled the pieces of me when I was broken beyond repair. And, even though I knew perfectly well that he had seen the potential for more in our relationship than was ever there, I'd let him believe that any of it was a possibility. Now that I had finally mended my mistake, I couldn't allow myself to hurt Jacob any more with my selfishness.

What I wanted didn't matter.

Edward sighed. He slid his cool finger under my chin and gently coaxed my face up to look at him again. The smile on his face was sad, and very tender.

"I appreciate that you don't want to hurt Jacob anymore," I winced at his name spoken aloud, "but I know, were I in his position and he in mine, I would still want to share your happiness with you. I would have been hurt if you hadn't given me the chance to choose for myself."

"It's not the same, Edward," I argued, shaking my head. "I don't want him to feel like he has to come just because I want him there. It's not fair for me to make him go through that pain." I sighed. "It's just easier this way."

Edward accepted my explanation with another sigh and quickly moved around the car to help me get out. His arm curled loosely around my back, his hand resting comfortably in the small of my back, as we walked up to the house. Just before he opened the door for me, he paused to pull me into his arms and kiss me gently. I shivered at his butterfly caresses.

"Isabella Swan - you are the most amazing person I know," he murmured onto my mouth. "I love you."

His distraction from our disturbing topic brought a miniscule smile to my face as I kissed him back, a little deeper. Suddenly, he swept me into his arms and carried me into the house, still kissing me. I wrapped my arms around his neck and he smiled against my lips, kicking the door closed behind us and continuing into the kitchen.

Gently, he set me down on the counter, and slid his fingers into my hair to hold my face closer. I shifted my body around slightly so that I could wrap my legs around his waist and I pressed myself into his chest. Edward let out an almost inaudible groan when the phone rang shrilly, making us both jump at the sound.

I looked at the offending phone, as it rang again insistently. I wondered who it could be as I hurried to pick it up. Edward made to move away from me, but I tightened my legs' grip around his waist as I answered.

"Hello, this is Bella Swan," I said, a little breathlessly.

"Hey Bella, its Mike." Edward's eyebrows shot up and I met his gaze with an incredulous expression – what would Mike want?

"Oh… hi Mike, what's up?" I asked. I hoped he wasn't trying to ask me on another date.

"Um… well, I was thinking, now that we've graduated and we're not going to see each other every day anymore, it might be good if a few of us got together to see a movie or something. Angela and Ben have already said they're up for going on Friday and I thought you," he hesitated for a moment, "and maybe Alice and… Edward, might want to come along too?"

I frowned thoughtfully – it wasn't like Mike to suggest a group date at the onset; normally I was the one to force other people besides myself into his plans. However, the idea wasn't unwelcome. I'd been wondering how I might break the news to my friends before I sent out the invitations, and having them all there meant that I would hopefully only have to make a public announcement once. That made living in a small town like Forks convenient in this circumstance – I only had to tell a few people before word was everywhere.

"That sounds like a great idea, Mike," I replied, giving Edward a questioning look. He nodded, so I continued, "I'm sure that Edward and Alice would love to come too – what are we seeing?"

"Not sure yet," he answered. "I thought maybe – that new Fantastic Four movie was just released and it's been getting some decent reviews. Ben and Angela said they hadn't seen it yet."

I nodded needlessly. "Yeah, that sounds good to me – what time?"

"They're screening the movie at four thirty, and I figured we could go to the diner to eat afterwards."

"Well, that sounds great to me," I told him happily. "I'll let Edward and Alice know. We'll meet you at the cinema at around four then, shall we?"

Mike agreed, and we chatted for a little while longer about how our first weeks of freedom were going. Edward, seeming to get bored with my indulging small talk, began fiddling with my hair and face, and it became extremely difficult to concentrate properly. Eventually, however, I managed to end the phone call and I scowled at Edward playfully as I replaced the receiver in its cradle.

"That wasn't nice – you know I can't concentrate when you distract me like that," I chided gently. His answering smile was unrepentant.

"Who said I wanted you to concentrate?"

I shook my head, a grin growing on my face, and kissed him lightly on the lips. "You really are adorable when you get jealous," I teased and he growled quietly when I dropped my legs from around his body and tried to slide off the kitchen bench.

"No," I laughed as he tried to recapture my entire attention with kisses. "I have to cook Charlie his dinner – he'll be home soon."


	7. Chapter 7: Interesting

_**A/N - **Hey, looky looky!! It's an update! I'm just kinda waiting around to move now, so I'll try to get a couple of chapters up in the next week or so, if I can. I'm very sorry it this is taking a bit long... I know I'd be getting impatient by now if I were reading this. But don't you worry, I'm trying to make myself only write the important bits now. This one's a bit of a longer chapter than I've posted before - hopefully they'll all be like that now._

_Please don't forget to review, guys!! I live on your words of love and criticism. And lots of reviews always make me write faster. I want to see if this story can live up to the great review count that I got for my other Twilight fic!! Enjoy!!

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When morning rolled around again, it felt like I was settling into another pattern. I woke up, dressed and ate breakfast, by which time Edward was there to drive me to his house, and so started another gruelling day of wedding planning. On the day's agenda – the rehearsal dinner and reception.

Once again, I found myself sitting comfortably in Edward's arms while Alice pelted me with ideas and I tried to accept and deny them as they flew at me. I was surprised at how little I was really required to do. Not long into our planning, Esme joined us.

"How are you all going?" she asked, her sweet voice serene. "I hope Alice hasn't been too hard on you, Bella dear."

I smiled back at Esme and shook my head. "I'm a little surprised, actually," I admitted a little guiltily. "I was fulling expecting Alice to just go way out."

Alice rolled her eyes at my confession, but Esme tinkled a laugh.

"I suppose you would not be surprised if I told you that I've been helping to hold her to her word," she said.

I laughed this time. That would explain why Alice's offerings were always limited to two or three options – Esme was trying to avoid an information overload in my poor little human brain. She was really considerate like that.

"Thanks for that," I said appreciatively.

"Anything I can do to help, dear," she replied. "That reminds me – I was wondering if you would like me to cook for the Rehearsal dinner."

Esme's request surprised me and I looked at Edward before I replied. His equally confused expression wasn't helpful.

"I…. Do you know how to cook?" I asked carefully.

Esme smiled again. "Well, I suppose I haven't cooked anything in a long while now…" she stopped in a thoughtful silence for a moment. "You don't have to say yes if you don't want to, Bella. It just occurred to me that it might be nice to have a bit of a family dinner – it will really only be us and your parents, won't it?"

I nodded, thinking it through, and Alice groaned in disgust. After a moment, Edward groaned too. I looked at their faces in worry, they looked annoyed.

"You're not actually going to ask us to _eat_ the food?" Edward asked distastefully. I smirked in understanding.

"Well, it wouldn't be much of a family dinner if there were only four of us eating, would it?" she demanded, surprisingly sternly. "But, that is only if Bella agrees…"

My smile turned a little malicious, and Alice shook her head with another, almost painful, groan.

"I would love it if you would cook for the rehearsal dinner, Esme," I told her. "Do you need any help learning how too cook again?"

Esme pursed her lips as she gracefully lifted herself from the couch again. After a moment's thought, she nodded her head.

"That might be a good idea, Bella," she replied. "If I could just do a bit of a practice run with you? We'll sort that out later, however. Why don't you kids get back to your planning – you're doing a splendid job."

When she was gone, I was rewarded with petulant looks from both Edward and Alice. A smile came to my face again – this one small thing could definitely make me feel better about the whole marriage. At least I could get one short moment of amusement out of it all.

oOo

Edward and Alice were still a little disgruntled the next afternoon. Alice was unusually quiet as Edward drove us to the movie theatre. I sat in the front seat, feeling extremely awkward. I knew they were trying to make me feel guilty so that I'd tell Esme not to worry about eating at the rehearsal dinner, but the knowledge of the fact didn't make it any easier to deal with. I was very close to giving in.

We reached the cinemas, and Edward moved at human pace to open my door. I smiled at him, kissing him lightly in an effort to cheer him up. A small smile lit his face for a moment, and then he frowned. I instantly knew this frown wasn't in response to anything I'd done and I looked around, to find Mike, Angela and Ben standing at the door. Mike was staring.

I rolled my eyes, tugging on Edward's hand. Alice's mood improved noticeably as we joined my human friends.

"Hey guys!" I greeted them with a small wave. Angela pulled me into a quick hug.

"I missed you, Bella," she said. "We really need to organise some more of that 'girl time' we were talking about the other day."

I chuckled, imagining the boyish tortures she must have been enduring for Ben lately. Alice squealed with excitement.

"We should totally go shopping!" she exclaimed. I suppressed a wince – at least she wasn't acting all depressed now.

Edward had reclaimed my waist as we walked in to join the queue for tickets. Alice and Angela continued their plans for shopping, while Mike and Ben were discussing the reviews on the movie. I leaned into Edward's arm and watched them – trying to imprint their faces into my memory.

"Are you ok?" Edward whispered into my ear when we had bought our tickets and food, and were making our way into the cinema. I sighed quietly and nodded.

"I'm just not looking forward to saying goodbye," I whispered back.

We sat down just as the lights began to dim and the cheesy jingles started to flash along the screen. Edward lifted up the armrest between us so that he could wrap his arm around me and pull me close. I was very aware of Mike in the seat next to me, no doubt watching us.

Soon, the lights turned off completely and the movie began. I rested my head on Edward's chest and curled my legs on the seat, watching in perfect bliss. As we watched the movie, I tried hard not to think about what I would have to do when it was over and we were at the diner. Still, even with Edward occasionally popping Maltesers into my mouth, I managed to get nervous.

The problem was, I didn't know how to break the news. Of course, I couldn't tell them that, for their own safety, they could never see me after I was married, and that made it all the harder. How could I say goodbye without them realising that was what I was saying? I was almost tempted to take Edward up on his offer to scrap all the pretences and just run away. Almost.

When the movie finished, a few people in the theatre clapped. The lights sprang back on as the credits began to scroll and I looked around in bewilderment – I'd barely paid attention at all. We all stood up and headed outside and, though I should have expected it, I was still surprised to find it was dark.

The others chattered excitedly about the movie as we slowly made our way to our cars. Apparently the ending had been particularly shocking, though I hadn't noticed. Edward chuckled when Mike asked for my opinion and I struggled to answer. Thankfully, we reached the Volvo before he had time to notice my lack of reply, and Edward handed me in.

"We'll see you at the diner in a few minutes," Edward said to Mike, closing my door pointedly.

Mike nodded and, giving me a small wave, rushed off to his Suburban. Edward chuckled as he slid into his seat and started the car.

"What's funny?" I asked, just as Alice began to snigger from the back.

Edward chuckled again, waiting until Mike had left the car park before he started to drive. "Mike just decided that he's going to try to beat us to the diner."

He took a corner a little faster than normal. My hands automatically moved to grip my seat. I was going to be so glad when this speed didn't bother me anymore, I thought as we sped through the many side streets between Forks Cinema and the diner we were eating at.

Because of our speed, we made it with plenty of time to spare. Edward parked in a very conspicuous parking spot and waited smugly for Mike to come around the corner with Angela and Ben. His thoughts were obviously bewildered enough to satisfy Edward – he chuckled just as the Suburban came into view of us.

We got out, Alice giggling, and met them at the door. Mike looked perplexed.

"How long were you waiting?" he asked. Edward pretended to shrug it off.

"A couple of minutes."

"But…" Mike looked between Edward's face and the shiny silver Volvo. "But we left before you – and I didn't see you overtake us."

A smile crept onto Edward's beautiful face. I rolled my eyes.

"I took a shortcut," I could hear the laughter he was suppressing in his voice.

Mike gave a humph of defeat and I caught Angela titter quietly behind her hand as we took our seats at a booth. As we waited for someone to take our orders, I shifted uneasily on the sticky linoleum seats. Edward rubbed comforting circles in the small of my back.

Eventually, a perky blonde young woman came to take our orders.

"Hiya! I'm Lucy, and I'll be your server this evening. What can I get y'all?" she asked brightly, her pencil poised over her notepad expectantly.

I was surprised to see that this girl had, in no way, tried to flirt with my exceptionally gorgeous fiancé. Something that I was used to have to deal with everywhere I went with Edward. That was one less worry off my mind for the night, at least.

Ben and Mike quickly rattled off a list of greasy foods that they were going to eat, and Angela followed hesitantly after them. The girl nodded as she scribbled, then turned to Alice.

"And you darl?"

Alice shook her head. "Nothing for me," she said. "I ate enough junk-food at the movies to last me out."

Lucy nodded and moved on to me.

"I'll just have a coke and a small bowl of chips with gravy," I told her.

"Make that a large plate," Edward put in unexpectedly. I frowned up at him, about to object that I really wasn't very hungry when his expression stopped me.

"So that we can share," he explained with an I'll-tell-you-later expression. I shrugged and let it lie – he was the one who'd have to regurgitate it later, not me.

Lucy hurried off with our orders, and soon returned with our drinks. She placed them down on their tray with a cheery "Here y'all are!" I reached across the table to take my tall glass of Coke off her and Angela gave a sudden gasp of surprise.

My eyes flew to her face, to find out what was wrong, and I found her staring at my left hand. I looked down, and quickly realised what she was looking at. In the bright fluorescent lights of the diner, my engagement ring was glittering. I looked back at Angela; her face was still slightly stunned.

The waitress, Lucy, had followed Angela's line of sight and spotted the ring too.

"Oh, that's a pretty little thang!" she exclaimed. I nodded, blushing.

"Thank you."

She seemed to sense the unease in my voice, and she took her leave. "I'll have your food out in a jiffy!"

When she was gone, Angela finally found her voice.

"Bella… i-is that an engagement ring?"

She had composed her expression now, though her tone was still a little shocked. I felt an inaudible laugh rumble in Edward's chest – the three facing us must have been having very amusing thoughts. I sighed. At least this solved my problem of trying to broach the subject myself… though I was a little worried at Angela's reaction. I proceeded with caution.

"Yes," I replied, trying hard to keep my voice calm. "Edward proposed to me last Wednesday."

I couldn't help but notice Edward's ecstatic smile as I said this, and my own answering smile crept onto my face before I knew it was coming. Angela, Ben and Mike stared at me expectantly.

"I'm sorry I haven't told you sooner," I continued quickly. "I didn't know how to tell you… and I was worried about how you might react…"

I trailed off as Angela suddenly laughed. The smile on her face was natural and it warmed my heart.

"Oh, Bella – that's fantastic!" she said, her eyes twinkling. She reached out her hand to take mine. "Can I look at it?"

I let her twist my hand as she admired the ring Edward had given me. Ben bent over to examine it too, but Mike still looked like he'd seen a ghost. He sort of reminded me of Jacob – how could he possibly have been still hoping that I was going to leave Edward? I stopped the train of thought before I could get depressed.

"Wow, Bella it's so beautiful," Angela complemented. "It looks really old, where did you get it Edward?"

Edward's smile was still broad, and the truthfulness of his answer caught me a little off guard.

"It's the ring my father gave to my mother when he proposed," he explained. "It's been passed down through my family for a few generations now, and I inherited it when they died."

Angela and Ben nodded, leaving the matter at that. I felt an overwhelming surge of love for my friend – she was so considerate. At that moment, Lucy came over again with our orders. The arrival of the food seemed to bring Mike out of his reverie. He blinked, still staring at my hand.

"You're getting married?" he asked.

The table was silent for a moment as we all looked at Mike. His brow was furrowed, almost in confusion. Then we all laughed, Alice and Edward loudest of all. I felt the smile on my face grow bigger.

"Yes, Mike," I answered gently, like I was talking to a small child. "Edward and I are getting married this summer, before we move to Alaska."

Angela looked a little surprised again, and she swallowed her mouthful of food quickly.

"This summer? So soon?"

I nodded, picking up my fork and stuffing a gravy-soaked chip into my mouth when I noticed Edward doing the same. Other than when he'd taken a bite out of a pizza to prove to me that he could eat if he had to, I'd never seen him eat before. I found the sight slightly amusing.

"Bella didn't want to wait," Edward explained, while I was silenced by my mouthful. "And I couldn't possibly deny her anything."

He wasn't exactly lying, though I certainly thought that he was stretching the truth much too thin. It was him that couldn't wait for the wedding – I had other things on my mind that made me eager for the big day to come as quickly as possible. However, we weren't at liberty to discuss that in the present company.

"Really?" Angela seemed incredibly surprised. I'd been sure that she would be one of the few to take the news without any more fuss than a blink of the eyes. I gave her a quizzical look, which she understood at once.

"I'm sorry," she said quickly. "It's just… I knew that Edward was likely to propose soon – I see the way you two are at school. But, Bella, I was so sure that you would want to wait. I don't mean to seem rude or anything, I just figured that… well, given what happened with your parents, it would be at least another year before you said yes."

I couldn't help it. Angela was just knew me so darn well! I laughed. It started as a as an insane little giggle, then grew until I was laughing so hard that I was crying. Edward chuckled quietly with me as well.

"Sorry," I managed to gasp when I'd settled down enough to speak, "but you have no idea how right you are! Edward… actually proposed… a few months ago, shortly after he came back." That memory sobered me up pretty quickly. "And that's exactly why I said no then… but I finally agreed last week."

Angela nodded, probably sensing that there were other things involved in the story, which I didn't want to share. By now, Alice was nearly bouncing out of her seat, and Angela noticed.

"I take it that you're helping with the planning, Alice?" she asked unnecessarily, opening the floodgates.

The spotlight was suddenly removed from me as Alice gushed to Angela over all her ideas and plans for Edward's and my wedding. I briefly wondered at how she'd held out from saying anything about it for so long - I'd almost wished that she'd crack before I could mention it, breaking the news herself.

The rest of the evening was pleasant. Mike still looked a little downtrodden when we said goodbye, though he tried to be convincing when he congratulated me and Edward, who was looking intimidatingly smug. His face was still bringing nagging memories of how badly Jacob had taken the news.

I got into the Volvo with a sigh and Edward held my hand as he drove me home. The porch lights were still on when we pulled up. I stayed in the car, unwilling to move, until Edward finally got out and opened my door for me. He walked me to the door slowly, stopping me before I opened it.

His hand cupped my face, the other fiddling with the ring on my hand, and kissed me gently. I leaned into the kiss, inhaling his sweet smell hungrily. I ached for more, but he pulled away before we could get carried away.

"I'll be back soon," he murmured into my hair. With that, he turned and walked back to the car. I stood and watched him pull away, waving before I let myself into the house.

"You kids have fun?" Charlie asked. He'd obviously been waiting for me to get home. I nodded, yawning.

"Yeah, Dad," I replied, moving slowly up the stairs. "It was a very interesting night."


	8. Chapter 8: Stress

_**A/N – **__UPDATE! Yes, I'm still around – and I found out that I will be for at least another week. Lots of reviews will ensure at least another chapter before I'm slightly computerless for a while!! Please don't ask me where this chapter came from… I was planning to do a little bit of skipping through the days here, but Bella and Edward got carried away again. -sigh- What will we do with them?? You'd think they didn't _want_ me to get to the wedding! _

_Also, there's a little treat from Edward's point of view, which I hope is alright. It was a bit hard to slip back into his mindset after writing from Bella's pov for so long…_

_So, a__s usual – please read, enjoy and review!!

* * *

_

As promised, I didn't have to wait long for Edward to return and, though I'd found the evening with my friends surprisingly draining, it took me an unusually long time to fall asleep. The image of Mike's shocked face was fixed in my mind's eye. I felt no qualms about shattering this hopes the way I had – frankly, he deserved it if he was clueless enough to think he'd still had a chance – but I couldn't shake how his attitude reminded me of Jacob.

Poor Jacob. I groaned mentally, shifting into a slightly more comfortable position within Edward's arms. It had been nearly a week since I'd last talked to Jake, and I tried hard not to think of that particular conversation in too much detail.

I sincerely hoped that Jacob would forgive me – that he would let me see him again – but I knew that he needed time. And I'd promised that I would let him decide, which meant I couldn't call until I had the go ahead from him. Still… I couldn't help but worry that if he hadn't talked to me yet, maybe he never would.

Edward, no doubt sensing the building distress caused by my line of thought, started humming my lullaby at that moment and I found myself instantly relaxing at the sound. I hope he's ok, I thought as I snuggled a little further into Edward's embrace, the exhaustion finally pulling me down into a dreamless sleep.

oOo

Charlie had already left to go fishing when I awoke the next morning. Once Edward had given me a decent good-morning kiss, I got ready for the day's torture with Alice. I wondered what she could have lined up for me today.

I found out as soon as we arrived. Alice was dancing around the living room happily, a middle sized box clutched in her hands.

"The stationary is here!" she sang.

Before I had time to react, she had commandeered my arm and was pulling me into the dining room. As Edward held out a chair for me and got me settled, Alice arranged stacks of card and envelopes at vampire speed. I looked at the arrangement warily.

"Alice, you're not actually going to ask me to ruin these beautiful invitations by writing on them, are you?" I asked incredulously, hardly daring to touch the expensive-looking fountain pen that sat in front of me.

Alice laughed.

"Don't be silly," she tittered. "Edward and I are writing out the actual invitations – you get to address the envelopes!"

I nodded reluctantly as she pushed the stack of envelopes, a pen and a list of names and addresses within easy reach. I perused the list with a frown – it looked a lot longer than I had expected.

"Alice, are you sure these are only the people we graduated with and their families?"

Alice sighed and gave me a withering look. I immediately felt guilty – she'd been amazingly good about all of this, and all I'd done was complain.

"A little trust, Bella - please," she whined. "Haven't I been a good little vampire?"

I smiled apologetically and nodded.

"I'm sorry Alice," I said quickly. "You have been wonderful – thank-you so much. I'm just a little stressed out, that's all – I don't think it's all totally sunk in yet."

oOo

In the end, it took us most of the day to completely finish the invitations. We chattered idly amongst ourselves as we wrote, Edward and Alice each completing an entire invitation card in the same time it took me to carefully address one envelope.

When I finished the last address, crossing it off the list with a tired flourish, I stretched out my arms. The muscles in my shoulders and neck were stiff from sitting over the table for so long and my fingers tingled from the cramped position they'd finally been released from.

"What time is it?" I asked, surprised to see that the light outside dimming, like afternoon turning to evening.

"Four o'clock," Edward answered after checking his watch. "I didn't expect it would take that long… maybe we should have just done it ourselves Alice."

He was teasing me, and I poked out my tongue at him childishly. My stomach took that moment to growl loudly – I hadn't eaten lunch yet. Edward and Alice exchanged a guilty look, realising that they'd forgotten my human peculiarities, and I laughed, standing up.

"Don't worry," I assured them. "I'm not terribly hungry, but maybe I should go home and have something to eat. I need to start dinner before Charlie gets home soon, and the house could do with a little tidying too."

Alice nodded. "You're right – go home early today. We can put these in the post tomorrow…" she sifted through the stacks of sealed envelopes, finally producing one with Charlie's name on it.

"You should give this one to Charlie yourself, Bella," she said brightly. "Edward put in a special little note, and I think you should be there when he reads it."

I took the invitation off Alice and gave Edward a questioning look. He laughed, suddenly pulling me into a tight hug.

"You don't need to look so worried," he scolded playfully, leading me through the house and to his car.

"Well, what does it say then?" I persisted. I hoped it wasn't anything too embarrassing. Edward sighed.

"It's just a note officially asking if he will walk you down the aisle," he murmured.

My mouth opened in a small 'o' of surprise. I had forgotten that I hadn't actually asked if Charlie would be willing to perform the traditional role of a father. I guess I'd taken it for granted that he would.

Once home, Edward helped me to tidy up the house. I'd spent almost every waking hour at the Cullens' for an entire week, and the state of the house was certainly starting to show it. After making myself a quick sandwich to tide me over until dinner, I remade Charlie's and my beds, and then sorted and loaded the clothes into the washing machine.

Edward had watched me for a little while, before I set him to work vacuuming the few rooms in the house with carpet. Of course, he finished it twice fast as I ever could, so I then assigned him to sweep the rest of the house when he had returned to watch me once again.

Finishing loading the washing machine, I made my way downstairs. Edward was sweeping the kitchen and I watched him, amused. It was strange, seeing this godlike creature doing something as ordinary… as human as sweeping. It made me giggle.

He looked up, the crooked grin that I loved the most on his angelic face.

"What?"

I shrugged, still chuckling, and moved to the fridge, opening it to see what I had available to make into dinner. Edward's arms snaked around my waist from behind me, and his lips were suddenly brushing along my throat. I shivered with pleasure, trying to keep my voice steady.

"Are you finished sweeping?" I asked, trying to be arch. The loud smack of the broom handle hitting the floor reverberated in the small kitchen.

"For now," he purred, twisting me slightly so that he could capture my mouth with his.

Soon, the refrigerator door was snapped shut and Edward had me pressed up against it. I vaguely registered that one of the fridge magnets was sticking into my back, but the urgent movement of Edward's lips and the cool length of his body against mine captured my attention too fully for me to care. Nothing else mattered but him.

The blood boiled in my veins, making me even more hyper-aware of Edward's every touch than normal. I gasped in the smell of him, straining as close to him as I could manage. Without my being consciously aware of it, my legs found their way to wrap around Edward's hips. I felt a gentle growl rumble through Edward's body and I shivered again at the sound.

A dry voice from the very tiny section of my brain that was not currently saturated in Edward informed me that Charlie was sure to be home any minute and I really should be cooking. I knew the voice was right, but I told it to go jump off a bridge – it wasn't very often that I got to kiss Edward like this. There was a reason for that, I knew, but I was too distracted by his cold fingers creeping stealthily under my shirt to remember exactly what that reason was.

Suddenly, I heard the door swing open and Charlie's voice calling from the hallway.

"Bella? Edward?"

My eyes flew open with horror, and I let go of Edward like he'd burnt me. Unusually surprised as well, Edward had released me too and, without my legs beneath me, I dropped to the floor with a loud thud.

Charlie was around the corner by then, and he took in the scene before him suspiciously. I was sprawled on the floor, my hair probably a mess, eyes wide with horror and pain, cheeks flaming, and mouth, which felt slightly bruised, open with surprise. Edward, his hair and clothes just as dishevelled as I imagined mine were, was bent over me with chagrin written across his face like a blaring neon sign.

"Um…" I could only imagine what thoughts were going through Charlie's head. His brow creased. I tried desperately to think of a feasible explanation.

"Are you alright, Bells?" Charlie finally asked, his tone worried. The breath I'd been unconsciously holding in gushed out, and my mind suddenly registered the pain in my tailbone.

"Ow!" I exclaimed quietly.

Edward helped me up carefully and I winced slightly as I straightened out to stand unsteadily. He supported me as I hobbled to a chair and I sat down gingerly. Charlie hurried into the room, dumping his fishing stuff on the bench.

"Lean forward," Edward ordered me gently. "I'll check nothing's damaged." Charlie pursed his lips.

"Shouldn't we take her to the hospital if that's a possibility?" he asked. Edward shook his head.

"I don't think she has, she didn't fall far," his cold fingers began to probe gently down my backbone. Charlie watched sternly.

"I'd still feel better if your father could have a look," he objected slightly, though he could obviously see that Edward knew what he was doing.

I winced a little again when Edward's fingers found the sore spot at the bottom of my spine.

"There's probably a nice little bruise there now," he informed me, unnecessarily. "But that's at least nothing's broken."

Charlie huffed a sigh that sounded half-way between relief and uncertainty.

"Don't worry, Charlie," Edward said calmly, now rubbing my back gently. "A few Tylenol and she'll be fine. Trust me – having a doctor for a father rubs off on you after a while."

Charlie seemed to accept that, and he turned to gather the stuff he'd dropped, starting to put away the fish. I noticed the darkening sky outside and I sighed.

"Oh, I haven't even made dinner yet!" I moaned. "I'm so sorry Charlie, I'll-"

"Don't worry, love," Edward suddenly cut in. "I'll make it."

"We can just order take out," Charlie started to object, but Edward held up a hand to stop him.

"No, really, I want to," he said firmly. "It's my fault that Bella's hurt."

I nearly laughed aloud, but I bit it back knowing that I'd probably regret it. My tailbone throbbed. Charlie left to take his other things upstairs.

"What were you going to make, Bella?" Edward asked, opening the fridge to peer inside. I quickly ran through my mind what was in there, searching for the easiest meal to make.

"Um, there should be some stuff for spaghetti in there," I muttered. He looked at me, worried.

"I'm sorry," he said softly. "Would you like me to get you some Tylenol?"

"Put the water on to boil first," I said, slowly trying to sit up straight again.

Edward did that, and then went to get the painkillers from the bathroom cabinet, taking long enough to return that I knew he was going at human pace. I swallowed the tablets he handed me and leaned against the table again, watching as Edward prepared dinner. Again, I found it amusing to see him performing such a common job.

Charlie walked back into the kitchen, now cleaned up, just as Edward was serving two bowls. The smell of the sauce was mouth-watering, and I glared just a little bit as he set down the smaller of the two servings in front of me.

"You not eating Edward?" Charlie asked as he dug in, not really sounding interested in an answer. Edward shrugged, taking a seat next to me.

We ate in silence, Charlie ploughing into his food like a starving man. I picked at my own a little less enthusiastically, the still-present pain in my back taking my appetite.

"This is actually alright," Charlie complemented, heaving out of his seat to serve himself seconds. "What did you kids do today?"

Edward told Charlie about our uneventful day of invitation writing. Charlie nodded distractedly. That reminded me of the envelope still sitting in my pocket.

"Oh yeah, I almost forgot!" I pulled it out and held it across the table for Charlie to take. "Alice gave me yours so I could deliver it personally."

Charlie frowned slightly; taking the invitation and ripping it open carefully.

"Really Bella, I already know that you're getting married," he said gruffly. "I don't really need an invitation."

I smiled sadly. "I thought it might be a nice keepsake," I murmured.

He flipped open the card and a slip of paper, Edward's note, fell out. Charlie picked it up curiously.

"What's this?" he asked, unfolding it.

"Just read it," I told him, a nervous feeling creeping into my stomach.

He sat very still as his eyes flickered across the page, taking in the words. I hoped that he would say yes, though I'd understand if he didn't – Charlie, just like me, did not like being in the centre of things. When he looked back at me, I noticed that his eyes were a little misty and I ducked my head in embarrassment. He took a moment to compose himself.

"Of course I'll walk you down the aisle, Bells," he said huskily. "I wouldn't have it any other way."

I smiled happily, quickly moving around the table to give him a hug.

"Thanks Dad," I said simply. "You don't know what this means to me."

oOo

Edward left a short time later, after washing and drying the dishes. The Tylenol had dulled the pain in my back enough that I was able to walk around unaided, and I had objected when he started to fill the sink, but he had insisted.

I went into the lounge room to say goodnight to Charlie, who was a little surprised at Edward's unusually early departure. I explained that he thought that I should go to bed early tonight and rest. Charlie was much more appreciative of that than I was – I would much rather spend more time with Edward than sleep.

As I made my way slowly up the stairs, I decided that I should have a nice long soak in a hot bath. I had nothing else to do to pass the time, and the muscles in my shoulders and back were still stiff.

I settled into the hot water of my bath ten minutes later with a sigh of relief. The steamy heat instantly soothed my aching muscles. I sighed, sinking to my neck and remaining perfectly still. My eyes closed lazily and I let myself relax completely.

**Edward**

"Alice, please," I asked again. Alice's face was uncharacteristically hard and she was scolding me heatedly with her mind. She shook her head, glaring at me.

"Bella will never forgive me," she insisted. "She obviously doesn't want to invite him, and I saw what her reaction would have been if I'd asked."

I sighed, pinching the bridge of my nose in an effort to suppress my frustration. I knew Alice was right, but she didn't understand. This wasn't about Bella – I knew she'd forgive me if she ever found out, which I wasn't planning on happening unless he came, but I knew he would hold it against us, me, for excluding him from this. Even if it was with me, he wanted Bella to be happy.

"Look, Alice," I tried to explain again. "I'm not asking you to go against Bella's wishes. I know she wishes he would come, no matter how much she won't admit it."

I abruptly held up a hand to stop her from carrying through with her interrupting thoughts.

"Hear me out," I demanded. "Whether she wants Jacob to come or not, I still would like to send the invitation. This isn't entirely about what she wants. As vastly different as we may be, Jacob Black and I are extraordinarily alike; and I know, were I in his position, I would want her to share her happiness with me."

_But Bella will be ever so upset with me…_ I opened my eyes and glared at my closest sister. Her thoughts were wavering now; I knew she could understand my reasoning.

"She won't be upset with you," I assured her. "I will take full responsibility if she finds out – just let me have one of the spare invitations."

_I don't know Edward, are you sure you really want to do this? _I took the opportunity to sidle around Alice, reaching behind her to quickly snatch up an invitation card, a piece of paper and an envelope. She folded her arms and pouted petulantly at me, and I grinned back.

"It will be fine," I assured her again, before racing up the stairs.

Once I reached the safe confines of my bedroom, I sighed with deep relief. Turning on my stereo to help cut out Alice's sulking thoughts, I checked the time – I still had half an hour before Charlie was likely to be asleep. It had been painful to leave Bella so early, but I knew it would take me a long time to convince Alice to let me send a wedding invitation to the werewolf.

The pen in my hand flew across the page as I wrote out the generic words of welcome and invitation on the formal card which were now burned into my brain from the repetition of writing them all day. I hoped that Bella was alright.

Despite what I told Charlie, I was rather worried about how much pain that fall had caused her. I was furious with myself for allowing it to happen – for losing control so totally. I'd been so absorbed in Bella; it had been as if nothing else existed. It was the closest to human I could ever remember feeling; my enhanced senses as a vampire had been totally overridden. The impossibility of that concept unnerved me.

I moved on to the slip of heavy parchment-like paper that I'd taken and paused. What could I possibly say to explain myself? I wasn't even sure that he'd read it – it was very possible that the mutt would simply assume that I wanted to gloat and decide never to talk to Bella again. And, even though this would make me feel more at ease, it would cut Bella to the quick.

I wrote slowly, thinking out every single word as I committed it to paper. When I was satisfied, I folded it in half and wrote his name on it. Just in case his father, Billy, was the one who opened it. I glanced at the time again – it was late enough to leave. Sliding the card and note into the envelope, I addressed and sealed it, then hurried back downstairs and placed it with the rest to be posted in the morning.

"I'm going to Bella's now," I said to the seemingly empty house.

Vague thoughts of acknowledgement drifted into my mind from the rest of my family. Emmett made his usual comment, hoping that I would enjoy myself. He still couldn't fathom the fascination I had with Bella when she sleeps – it had been a particular point of hilarity for him when I'd first come to understand my feelings for Bella.

I ran the familiar path through the dark and dripping forest to her house, every cell in my body aching to be with her again. I wondered, for the thousandth time, if Bella also endured this peculiar pain when we were apart. Though I would never know for certain; unable to hear her thoughts, I could still see the expression of utter relief when I returned to her that suggested that she did.

So quickly that I would be invisible to a human, I sprang up the front of the house and through Bella's window. I was surprised to find that the room was empty. I listened to the silence carefully, thinking she might have gone downstairs for a drink. I could hear Charlie snoring gently, his heart beating lethargically in sleep… and the musical sound of Bella's heart.

I frowned, opening the door and stepping into the hallway. Light shone around the edges of the closed bathroom door. But it sounded like she was asleep… or unconscious. Could she have slipped after her shower? I had to admit, it was possible. Though I was sure that Charlie would have noticed if Bella had had a shower and never come out of the bathroom…

I padded on silent feet to the door and knocked, mindful of Charlie asleep down the hall.

"Bella?" I called quietly. "Bella, are you in there?"

My voice was greeted by a loud thump of her heart and a sudden splash of water.

"E-Edward?"

I sighed in relief. At least I knew she was alright. There was another splash of water, then a wet squelch and a sucking gurgle – the water emptying out of the tub.

"What were you doing?" I asked, amused now that I was sure that she was ok. I could hear her heart jump a little as she stumbled around, getting dressed. She was embarrassed; how interesting.

"I… fell asleep in the bathtub," she mumbled. I chuckled darkly, thanking the stars that she hadn't drowned herself. Bella's wellbeing was forfeit during even the simplest of activities. It was a marvel to me that she had managed to survive so long without me. Though, I'd certainly provided my own share of danger. I leant against the doorjamb, waiting patiently for her to come out.

When the door opened, emitting the most luscious smelling steam, I gathered her in my arms. Her pale skin was flushed from the heat of the water she'd been sitting in, since I'd left her I assumed. Her extraordinary warmth seeped through her clothes, and I hummed with content.

"Hi," she muttered into my chest. Her warm little nose brushed the exposed skin on my chest and I found myself moaning softly at the teasing caress.

"You're so warm," I breathed, flicking off the light switch and carrying her to her room. "And you smell delicious."

She hummed against my neck, the puff of warm air making my frigid skin tingle. It was incredible that, even after so long, something as simple as her warmth could affect me so deeply. She would never know just how very much I would miss it.

I laid her gently on her bed, tugging the covers around her before I stretched out beside her. She shifted uncomfortably in my arms.

"Is there something wrong, my love?" I murmured. A grimace crossed her face.

"Nothing life-threatening," she answered, shifting again. "I can deal with it."

Realisation hit me – her back was still sore. Of course, that would be why she had spent so long in the hot bathtub. I wondered if my being close might be making her even more uncomfortable, my cold leeching away the heat.

"You're back hurts?"

She nodded reluctantly, wriggling into another position. Gently, I rolled her onto her stomach, and ran the heal of my hand up her spine. She shivered in response and I chuckled.

"What are you doing?" she asked. I could hear her exhaustion in her voice.

"Giving you a massage," I replied innocently, a small smile playing about my lips. "It will make you feel better."

Bella looked up at me balefully for a moment before her eyes closed, and I wondered what she was thinking. It was still so strange for me, not knowing. Even if it made her happier this way – I desperately wished I could understand the convoluted inner workings of her mind. I pressed my hands soothingly into the soft muscles of her back, loosening the knots that they had formed.

She moaned quietly and I hesitated, afraid that I'd used too much pressure. Her eyes opened slowly and she stretched her arms out under her pillow.

"Don't stop," she pleaded.

I continued to softly knead into her warm flesh, feeling the slight quivering of each muscle as it eased at my touch. I listened intently as the beating of her heart – always slightly faster, yet somehow smoother, whenever I was around – and the deepening of her breathing as her entire body relaxed.

"That's right, love," I crooned, hoping my voice would push her over the edge of consciousness. "Sleep… dream happy dreams."

Her eyes fluttered open briefly, and her hand reached out feebly to pull my face to hers. I kissed her soft, warm lips tenderly. She sighed with content, finally slipping into peaceful sleep.


	9. Chapter 9: New Clothes

_**A/N – **__-singing voice- It's an update!! Sorry this one took a little longer than normal, but it was a little bit hard to get out, for a strange reason. Not that this was really a very hard chapter… it's just filler/fluff really. But I kinda like it. Anyway, thank you to everyone who reads this story, and _especially_ to those who review. Your words are my muse!!_

_I'd like to dedicate this one to Heath Ledger, who sadly passed away today. He was a great Australian actor (and so hottt!!) and it's such a tragedy that his promising life has been cut so short. Please enjoy, read and review!_

_**25/01/08 - **I did a bit of research, and I realised that going from Forks to New York is an even bigger deal than I was imagining and so, in the interest of realism, I've had to shuffle around my events plan for the story. As a result, a few minor details have been updated in this chapter._

* * *

I was still on my stomach when I woke in the morning, Edward lying by my side. I could feel stiffness remaining in my muscles, though the massage had definitely helped, and I moved slowly as I got up. Edward's eyes followed my every move intently, probably waiting for the slightest sign of pain.

"How are you this morning?" he murmured. I stretched experimentally, satisfied that the movement only twinged a little.

"Surprisingly good," I replied, smiling. His returning smile was brilliant – it lifted my heart to see; my favourite sight in all the world.

His lips caught mine and I found myself, for the millionth time, wishing that I could spend the rest of forever kissing him. We'd have to try that out some time after the wedding – once I, too, no longer had a need to breathe regularly. The thought made the corners of my lips curl up into a smile around Edward's cool mouth.

"I have to go," he whispered into my hair, when he had reluctantly released my lips. "Charlie's almost awake now… I'll be back in an hour or so to pick you up."

I pouted at him, feeling in a remarkably playful mood, and he chuckled at me, flicking my protruding bottom lip with a pale finger. He moved off my bed and towered over me.

"Whatever shall I do while you're gone?" I asked with mock distress.

"Fear not, fair maiden, for I shall return hither to thee with such haste that thine tender heart shall have but a brief moment to contemplate the pain of mine absence," he replied, managing to sound gallant despite the fact that he was whispering.

"I shall wait with baited breath, my lord," I declared quietly.

Edward's profile was dark against the slowly growing light outside. He chuckled and sped back to me, giving me one last kiss before he moved slowly to my window.

"I certainly hope not," he said, his eyes blazing. "I'd rather you were alive when I got back, than find that you had suffocated while I was gone." He looked over his shoulder at me once last time. "Really, I'll be as quick as I can."

And then he was gone. I rolled over and pressed my face into my pillow where Edward had been only moments before, inhaling the lingering sweetness of his scent. I smiled wistfully, wondering if I could ever smell this good. Then I giggled, remembering that I already did – to Edward, at least.

When the blanket of clouds in the sky had grown to the inevitable grey of daylight, I jumped out of bed. My back muscles wrenched slightly in response to the sudden movement and I winced. The pain was short-lived, though, and my oddly euphoric mood wasn't shaken in the slightest.

I hummed merrily as I went about my morning routine. Charlie seemed a little shocked when he came downstairs to find me smiling gleefully into my bowl of cereal so early in the morning.

"Good morning, Charlie!" I greeted in a sing-song voice that reminded me of Alice. Maybe she was finally catching.

"Good morning," he replied, getting his breakfast and giving me a strange look. I grinned at his wariness. "And why are you so happy?"

I shrugged, finishing the last of my Cheerios with a flourish of my spoon and then skipping over to the sink to rinse my dishes. A series of knocks on the door announced Edward's arrival to come pick me up.

"Door's open, Edward!" I called brightly, quickly drying my dishes.

"I seek a beautiful maiden in distress," he proclaimed, stepping into the kitchen grandly. "Are you one such?"

I giggled at Charlie's confused expression, then composed my face into an look of thoughtful consideration.

"That I might," I allowed. "And if I were, what wouldst thou propose?"

Edward snorted quietly at my choice of words, then strode through the room to my side. He gazed down into my face intently, the crooked smile that I loved best spread across his face.

"I would proclaim my undying love for thee, then sweep thee off thine feet and carry thee away into yonder horizon, to be joined with me in sweet matrimony forever more!"

My hand flew to my forehead and I allowed myself to fall back in a theatrical swoon. As I expected, Edward caught me in his arms. His smouldering eyes seemed to pierce through to my very soul.

"If these be your intentions, noble sir, then I am the most beautiful woman in the world," I said, my heart skipping a beat.

"Indeed," he agreed.

He looked like he was about to kiss me passionately in that moment – I wanted him to. But a sudden grin flashed across his face again and he spun me to my feet, his arm wrapped securely around my waist. Charlie was still sitting at the table, a peculiar expression on his face.

A sudden blush flooded my face and I tittered a silly giggle. I'd forgotten that Charlie was there. Once the shock faded off his face, he rolled his eyes and chuckled indulgently, returning to his breakfast. I let out an inaudible sigh.

"What have you two got planned for today?" Charlie asked.

I shrugged and looked up at Edward expectantly. His arm squeezed me a little closer in response.

"I've got the rest of the invitations in the car that we need to post," he said, then paused to think. "And then we'll go back to my place where, I believe, Alice is planning to discuss and organise the wedding cake and music."

I didn't even have to repress a groan at the thought – the compulsion to was simply absent. I wondered again why I was feeling so light today.

"Well, I'm ready whenever you are," I said.

Edward smiled down at me, kissing me lightly on the nose. "I suppose we'll go then," he replied. "Have a good day, Charlie."

"You too Edward," Charlie answered with gruff politeness. "Be good, Bella."

I giggled and flitted to my father's side, impulsively wrapping my arms around him and planting a quick kiss on his cheek.

"See you soon, Dad."

And then I skipped ahead of Edward, out the door and into his car. I waited happily for him to join me, grinning when he slipped into his seat. He chuckled, amused by my strange mood and took my hand as he pulled out of our driveway and, once out of sight of the house, drove at his usually too fast speed through town.

We stopped briefly at the post office and Edward left me to wait patiently for him in the car while he quickly posted the alarming stack of invitations that had been sitting in the backseat. I watched as slid the envelopes into the post-box slot, a few at a time. He'd seemed a little anxious about me not posting them myself. Perhaps he was afraid that I might get my hand stuck… I snorted a laugh at the thought.

"What is so funny now?" he asked, jumping gracefully back behind the wheel. I shrugged, staring adoringly at his face.

"Nothing in particular."

He studied my expression, searching for the reason behind my unpredictably cheerful mood. I smiled brightly back at him, wondering if he was trying – futilely – to lift the reason right out of my head. Even if he could hear my thoughts, it wouldn't help him in this instance. I was just happy.

"Maybe I should have Carlisle check up on you," he announced eventually. "I think that bump last night might have addled your brains… either than or it got waterlogged."

I giggled at his reminder of what had happened the night before.

"How do you know that it wasn't your fantastic massage that did this?" I asked playfully. His brow creased in serious thought for a moment, making me laugh again. He was so absurd sometimes.

"Really Bella – why are you so happy today?"

I cocked my head at him impudently. "What's not to be happy about? I'm with the most amazing man in the world, who I am soon going to marry and spend eternity with. Wouldn't you be happy too?"

His answering smile was soft, and dazzling. It sent my heart into an absolute frenzy.

"Yes, I am happy."

I'd managed to settle down a little by the time we reached the Cullens' place. Standing in front of the tall white house felt like returning home. _Well_, I noted to myself as we mounted the stairs, _they do say that home is where the heart is_. And my heart was now, forever, in Edward's care.

For a change it was Esme that greeted us first when we walked – well, more like skipped today – through the door, though Alice wasn't far behind. Esme's usual sweet smile alighted on me, making my grin broaden again.

"Good morning Bella," she welcomed warmly, kissing me on the cheek. "You're in a good mood today, dear. Is there something special happening?"

I shook my head with a mock frown.

"No, I'm starting to think that it's got something to do with the fact that I've gotten through an entire week of wedding planning with Alice and I haven't once had a breakdown," I replied airily, leaning into Edward's side.

"I think we might be witnessing said breakdown," Edward teased. I poked my tongue at him.

"So, Alice," I looked to my tiny soon-to-be-sister brightly, "what do you need me for today?"

"Actually, Bella, I was wondering if you could help me with a bit of cooking, dear," Esme cut in. "I thought it might be a good idea to try a few simple dishes for practice to begin with so that I can build myself up to the big day."

"And we can talk about food and the cake and music while you do that," Alice added enthusiastically. I nodded.

"Sounds great," I consented, and we all trouped into the kitchen.

Esme had half a dozen or so cooking books, propped open to a variety of different dishes, scattered across the pristine marble counter. I scanned over them – they appeared to be picked at random. Recipes for everything from chocolate cake, to fettuccine carbonara, to chicken enchiladas stared up at me. I fished out the Italian book from amidst the mess and handed it to Esme.

"Pasta might be a good place to start," I told her. "Almost everyone can cook pasta." And then I giggled, a recent memory floating to the surface. "Except Charlie, of course."

Edward chuckled with me, obviously remembering Charlie's almost inedible attempt at spaghetti bolognaise. Esme stacked the rest of the books in an out of the way corner of the bench-top, then read over the recipe instructions.

"So, where do I start?" she asked, her brow furrowed. I glanced over her shoulder.

"Well first, you need to gather together all of the ingredients," I told her. "Carbonara sauce is made up of your everyday basics, so you should have ev…"

Esme's face fell and I trailed off with my sentence as the problem dawned on me. Of course – with nobody in the household needing to eat, there was no food. I tried hard not to laugh, but the resulting smirk gave away my amusement.

"I… suppose I should go down to the store?" Esme asked hesitantly.

That sent me over the edge. I sniggered, laying my hand on Esme's arm for support. My stomach was beginning to hurt from all the laughing.

"You can't go to the store Esme," I tried to explain. "It's Sunday – they'll all be closed." Her disappointed expression suddenly cut short my amusement, and I quickly gave her a hug.

"I might be able to help though," Alice suddenly piped up. Her eyes were twinkling as she danced past us to open the refrigerator door.

There was an assortment of foods lining the gleaming shelves. I was amused to notice that, as well as eggs, milk, meat and other such perishable foods, there was also flour, sugar and half a dozen tin cans. It was obvious that Alice had had no idea which foods needed to be kept cold and which didn't, so she'd played it safe by piling them all in.

"I had a vision after you and Edward left early, Bella," Alice explained brightly. "So I went grocery shopping!"

She seemed immensely proud of herself. I could imagine tiny little Alice prancing up and down the isles of the local Thriftway, haphazardly throwing random items into a trolley. Edward surprised me by laughing.

"It's not often you see a vampire in a grocery store," he chuckled. "I'm surprised you didn't terrify the staff half to death, Alice." Alice poked out her tongue and returned to her wedding folder.

"Well then," I said, clapping my hands together purposefully. "Why don't we get started?"

Though Esme had the advantage of vampire speed, it took her twice as long to cook the simple meal as it would have if I'd done it. Patiently, I explained how to perform each task required, demonstrating when necessary. Apparently cooking had changed rather drastically since the early 1900's – which made me wonder how Edward had managed to teach himself what he knew of the art. I suspected that a mixture of late night cooking shows on the TV and watching me cook had something to do with it.

As I helped Esme, Alice chattered non-stop about the culinary aspects of the wedding. We decided that a simple three-course meal would be sufficient for the rehearsal dinner and, with only minimal resistance, I maintained that a range of finger foods were all that was required for the short reception. I knew that the fact that she would be expected to eat was the major reason that Alice did not insist on a post-wedding feast.

The cake, it was eventually decided, would be a simple three-layered mud-cake with white icing and a small bunch of colourful freesias on the top. Alice had argued that there aught to be the traditional bride and groom wedding topper, but I refused – I couldn't imagine anything more tacky.

We had moved on to the topic of music when Esme finally finished.

"I don't want to talk about any songs," I persisted. "That's Edward's area of expertise – and want it to be a bit of a surprise."

Alice rolled her eyes at me as Esme dished up a serving for inspection and tasting. The small bowl of long flat noddles, coated in the thick creamy carbonara sauce looked and smelled delicious. I picked up a fork and twirled some pasta onto it and bit down on the wad. I chewed thoughtfully, playing Esme just a little bit.

"Well?" she asked.

I let a smile spread across my face as I swallowed and twirled some more fettuccine onto the fork.

"It's perfect," I praised. "Could you do this for main corse, do you think?"

Esme's face lit up and Alice clapped excitedly. I suspected that I wouldn't be eating take-out whenever I stayed the night.

We spent the rest of the day relaxing in the living room, talking amongst ourselves about random things. The boys organised to go hunting the next day and, because of my slightly downcast expression at those plans, Alice insisted that us girls were going to have a play around with different ideas for my hair and make-up.

With those plans and that tight, though slightly smaller, bubble of happiness still encasing my heart, Edward drove me back home for the night. I cooked a simple dinner, and Edward and I stayed downstairs to watch a game with Charlie. I hadn't seen Edward and my father get along for such a prolonged amount of time since Edward and I had first started officially dating. It was nice to know that Charlie might even come to like my fiancé before we left forever.

oOo

Edward left to go hunting in the very early hours of the morning. He obviously tried hard not to wake me, but I was aware of his absence the moment he left my bed. I rolled over and sighed.

"Edward?" I muttered sleepily. It was still dark and I couldn't see him.

Something cool stroked my crumpled cheek. I sighed again, leaning my face toward his cool hard hand. I heard a ghostly chuckle, and his lips briefly brushed against mine.

"I have to go now love," he murmured. "You have a good day with Alice."

I groaned quietly in response and he chuckled again. He kissed me one last time, then left without a sound. I laid awake, listening to the quiet patter of rain outside before I slipped back into a restless sleep until morning.

Alice was there to greet me when I woke up again. She bounced around the house happily chirping about the fun we were going to have without the boys around. I smiled good naturedly as I got dressed and ate my breakfast.

"I still can't decide if we should curl it or keep it down and straight," Alice was leaning on the counter in the kitchen. "You're hair is so nice and long, but it would seem such a pity to do nothing with it – it just wouldn't seem special enough."

Charlie grinned affectionately at her. It had always perplexed me how Charlie could be so fond of Alice, even when he'd been vehemently upset with her beautiful brother.

"I'm sure you'll work it out, Alice," he asserted. "You always know what will work just right."

"Oh, that reminds me!" Alice exclaimed. "Esme wanted me to ask you – we need to take care of dresses and suits for everyone. Would you object very much if we took Bella to New York for a couple of days?"

I looked at Alice sharply. She hadn't mentioned that she was going to steal me away to New York. I'd just assumed that Alice would take care of that without my help. Obviously, I was wrong.

Cautiously, I took in Charlie's reaction. He was looking a little dubiously at Alice, who's pixie face was shining with an expression of utmost confidence. After a moment, Charlie shrugged.

"I suppose I can't really stop you anyway," he admitted with resignation. "Are you sure that you need to go all that way, though? Surely there's somewhere a little closer to home."

Alice shook her head impishly. "I've already ordered the dresses from a designer over there – he wants us to come for a quick fitting, and I supposed we should take care of suits and the rest while we were there – make a little holiday of it."

Charlie nodded. "When will you all be leaving, then?" Alice's eyes twinkled.

"I arranged the fitting for Wednesday afternoon their time," she answered brightly. Charlie choked a little on his mouthful. My own eyes had widened in horror. "The flight leaves at 8:35 tomorrow morning and we should get there sometime in the afternoon. We'll stay in a hotel and spend a few days shopping and site-seeing, then we'll fly back Saturday evening and should be home around dinner time. We'll be paying for it all, of course."

"Well," Charlie spluttered helplessly. "I suppose you have it all worked out." He turned to me thoughtfully. "You've sure picked a generous family to marry into, Bells."

Alice squealed with excitement and I smiled ruefully at my father – she'd given him absolutely no room to argue in the slightest. I almost wished that he had. Though, I was definitely excited to visit New York.

We left shortly after that, and I went to my day of Barbie-doll treatment with a feeling of inevitable resignation. It actually wasn't as bad as I'd been anticipating. I sat in the vanity chair in Alice's colossal bathroom as she, Rosalie and Esme flitted around me.

Once one look was completed, they'd all stand back to take it in for a moment, then a camera would flash in Alice's hand and it would all come off again for the next experiment.

We giggled and chatted like only women could, and even Rosalie was amiable. It seemed that she'd finally accepted that I wasn't going to change my mind and was determined to make it up to me for her previously horrible behaviour. I had a feeling that we would grow to be quite close with a little bit of time. There was something in her dark humour that reminded me very much of Edward, and it was comforting.

I was surprised, when I was finally allowed to stand up from my perch and leave the bathroom, to find that it was growing dark outside. I'd spent an entire day without Edward, and the passing of the time had almost been effortless. I sighed, realising that it was probably time to go home – I would need my sleep if we were going to be flying out to New York in the morning.

"I suppose you better take me home, Alice," I told her, wishing that I could stay the night instead. Alice's face went blank for a moment, then she grinned.

"Perfect!" she exclaimed. "I'll go call Charlie!"

It took me a moment to catch up, then it dawned on me what she meant. She was going to organise me staying over. A heavy weight, which I'd barely registered was there, lifted slightly. Alice was back quicker than I could believe.

"He said that it's okay," she announced. "I have some clothes that I bought for you the other day that you can take with you to New York, so I told Charlie that we wouldn't need to pick anything up."

"Do you know when the boys will be home?" I asked, trying to be casual. Alice wasn't fooled – she smiled knowingly and patted my hand.

"They'll be another hour or so," she told me. "Why don't you have a shower and I'll help Esme cook you something for dinner."

And she waltzed off downstairs, leaving me alone in Edward's room. I'd never been in his room by myself before, and I felt a strange curiosity creep over me as I surveyed it. My eyes fell on his wardrobe and I grinned. Now would be the perfect opportunity to have a poke around in the elusive Edward's stuff.

I got up and walked quickly to open the door. A modest collection of neat clothes hung in their steel hangers and a line of simple yet expensive looking shoes sat on the floor. I was a little disappointed at how bland it was, though I wasn't sure what I'd been expecting from perfect, orderly Edward. A box full of secrets was just a little obvious, I realised sheepishly.

I scanned over the outfits before me, recognising surprisingly few of them – I was always too distracted by his face to notice his clothes. Randomly, I pulled a sleeve up to my face and deeply inhaled his scent, which clung to the soft fabric. I pressed it to my cheek and sighed. Despite the wonderful day I'd had with my future sisters and mother, I missed Edward sharply.

Reluctantly, I dropped the sleeve again and went to shut the door. Esme would be finished dinner soon, and I really needed a shower. Then a sudden idea hit me. I didn't have my pyjamas with me, and I didn't really care to find out what Alice might have for me to wear – but I could wear some of Edward's clothes instead. I giggled at the thought.

Quickly, I pulled one of Edward's more comfortable looking shirts off it's hanger and, after a little searching, found a pair of cotton boxers. With my makeshift PJs, I made my way to the bathroom and had a warm shower. The water was soothing as it slid down my back.

When I finally got out, I quickly dried off with one of the fluffy white towels stacked neatly in a cupboard. I eyed the folded clothes that Alice had left on the bench for me, taking the underwear but leaving the silky nightdress untouched. Instead I slid my arms into Edward's shirt. It was a bit long on me, but I rolled the sleeves up to my elbows so that I could use my hands.

I surveyed myself briefly – it actually looked quite good. Wistfully, I pulled the collar to my nose, again breathing in his smell. With that, I skipped downstairs, feeling anxious to see Edward. I hoped he came home soon.


	10. Chapter 10: New York, New York

_**A/N **__**– **__Here you are my patient loverlys!! I'm so very sorry that this chapter took so long, but what with my moving into the city, starting uni and work, I haven't had an awful lot of time to write. And then, for some reason, the second half of this really just wouldn't come! Bella was just refusing to tell me what happened (though I'm sure if I'd asked Alice, she'd have given me a very detailed account, but I definitely don't have the time to channel her at the moment) but I persisted and she, eventually, told me the highlights._

_I'd like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who reviews on my stories and encourage others – PLEASE REVIEW. I know that there are more of you out there, and I'd really appreciate to hear _your_ views. _

_This chapter is dedicated to the wonderful _Rebekah _and_ Tiffany_ who were (amazingly) the only ones to take a stab at guessing my idea of Bella's power. Both of them picked up very crucial parts of it (Tiffany, you are much closer than you think!!) but they didn't quite get it. Edward gives you a little clue in this very chapter (though he doesn't know it, of course) so see if you can find it!!_

_If you don't know what I'm talking about, go read '_A first time for everything'_ and have a guess. If I get enough review on it, I might add more to it… Now, on with the show!_

* * *

I'd finished my dinner and was sitting curled up on Edward's black leather sofa when he finally arrived. My head snapped up at the slight rattle of the doorhandle and I watched a beautiful smile spread across his face as his eyes fell on mine. That anxious ache that was ever-present when he was gone dissolved as he strode across the room and knelt on the floor beside me.

"What a pleasant surprise," he said softly, taking my face in his hands like he was handling a particularly fragile object.

"I missed you," I replied. His face inched closer to mine slowly.

"Hmmm," he murmured against my lips. "That's a very good thing."

And then he was kissing me. His gentleness still astounded me – how this granite hard creature could kiss me with such delicacy, while still managing to convey that same urgent passion that I felt, was incredible. As usual, he pulled away too soon and his eyes glanced briefly over the rest of my body, taking in my clothes. An amused smile lit his face.

"An interesting choice of attire," he commented.

I looked down shyly, remembering exactly what I was wearing, and blushed. His cool finger stroked the length of my hot cheek and hooked under my chin to pull my eyes back to meet his. Their bright honey depths smoldered at me, making the pit of my stomach erupt in sudden butterflies and my heart sputter erratically.

"I hope you don't mind," I mumbled. He momentarily flashed his teeth at me and moved in to kiss me again.

"Not at all," he told me, his lips brushing briefly against mine, then wandering across my cheek and down the length of my neck. "They look rather excellent on you… very sexy."

His fingers found their way under the shirt and were caressing the bottom of my stomach as he gently kissed my collarbone. I quivered at the pleasant sensation, but reluctantly wriggled away from him as his hands crept stealthily higher. He raised his face to look at mine, a disappointed pout playing about his mouth. The expression was positively heartbreaking.

"What's wrong?" he asked. His hands remained on my bare stomach, fluttering occasionally and making it difficult to concentrate. I took a steadying breath, his glorious scent calming my scattered nerves.

"I really should go to sleep if you expect me to fly across the continent and remain anywhere close to sane tomorrow," I told him, not a little breathlessly.

He sighed, unable to argue, and allowed me to slip into our giant bed. As I sank back into the soft pillows, I insisted that he sleep under the covers with me.

"But Bella – you'll get cold," he objected mildly. I let my bottom lip slip out into a pout of my own and patted the mattress.

"Please Edward?" I simpered. "I've already had go through an entire day without you near me, so I'd rather not have even a quilt separating us now."

He smiled sadly and slid down under the bedding next to me. I wriggled into the circle of his arms and rested my head on his shoulder, sighing contentedly before I quickly fell asleep.

oOo

Edward tenderly shook me awake in the early hours of the morning and I groaned in complaint, refusing to open my eyes.

"We're going to New York today," he reminded me. "You won't get jetlagged if you slowly adjust yourself to their time."

I cracked my eyes open groggily and glanced at the south facing window-wall. The sky outside was just lightening with the onset of dawn.

"What time is it?" I moaned, rubbing the sleep out of my eyes. Edward chuckled.

"Five o'clock," he answered. "Would you like to watch the sunrise with me?"

I nodded slowly, struggling to sit up a little – I would certainly fall back asleep if I remained horizontal. Edward sat against the bed head and I leant against him contentedly. His arms were wrapped securely around my waist and his skin, from spending the entire night holding me, was almost warm.

When the sun had completely risen and I was finally fully awake, I went about getting ready to leave. As I dressed and ate breakfast, my stomach churned with excited butterflies. In eight hours, I would be in New York! Alice was nearly bouncing off the walls by seven o'clock.

"Time to go-o!!" she called shrilly. Edward sighed with resignation and rolled his eyes.

"What's wrong?" I asked. He smiled ruefully.

"Alice is the only one in the family who's really learnt how to quieten her thoughts effectively," he explained as we shuffled onto the backseat of Alice's shiny yellow Porsche, "but when she's excited like this, she forgets to do it. My head is full of her screaming."

I giggled as Alice, hearing Edward's complaint, stuck out her tongue at him over her shoulder. Edward shrugged unapologetically. The drive to the airport didn't take as long as it would have if an ordinary person had been driving. I deliberately paid little attention as we went through the usual process before we boarded the plane – I did not want to know how much of a fortune this trip was costing.

The flight was long, though uneventful. We were in first class, and I was pleased to note that the food served at lunch wasn't half as awful as what I'd come to expect from my previous flying experiences.

It was afternoon when the plane finally touched down. I shifted in my seat uncomfortably as the air hostess at the front of the plane relayed the generic arrival message, I was impatient to get off the plane.

My legs were numb from sitting still for so long, so when I quickly stood to move down the aisle I wobbled and nearly tripped. Edward caught me with his arm around my waist, chuckling slightly in my ear at my clumsiness and I sniffed. He kissed me briefly on the cheek.

"Sorry, love," he apologised. I rolled my eyes, unable to ignore the over-contrite expression on his face.

"Never mind," I mumbled.

Our luggage took a surprisingly short time to come around on the conveyor belt and Edward took our shared suitcase, carrying it like it only weighed two pounds. As we walked, with the rest of Edward's family, through the terminal and out onto the street, I caught a few women eyeing him appreciatively and I sighed.

His arm tightened a little around my waist and I looked up to see his reassuring smile. He kissed me soundly on the lips, before whispering huskily onto my mouth.

"Only you, my love. There's only ever you."

I kissed him again and I felt him suddenly grinning against my lips. I pulled away and his eyes flickered briefly. I followed his gaze to a girl my age, leaning against the wall near the doors. Her arms were crossed and a frustrated frown was on her face.

"Why are all the decent guys taken?" he relayed to me in a girly whine. "I wish my boyfriend would kiss me like that, surely its not that hard to learn how to be a little more romantic sometimes. I mean, look at the way he's staring at her!"

I giggled as we moved through the revolving doors and into the streets of New York city. I looked around, my eyes wide. It was overcast, of course, but there was a heaviness in the air that seemed to have nothing to do with the cloud cover. The buildings were old, though still in good repair, and there were people everywhere.

Esme, Carlisle, Rosalie, Emmett, Jasper and Alice were already loading themselves into a pair of cabs and we moved over to quickly join them. I ended up slightly squished in the back between Edward and Emmett, Rosalie calmly sitting in the front, ignoring the cab driver's useless efforts at flirting. Eventually, he seemed to get the point and asked, a little curtly, where we were headed.

"The Plaza hotel, please," Rosalie answered, smiling dazzlingly at him.

I watched in fascination as we drove, slowly, through busy city. We were soon surrounded by toweringly tall, shiny buildings. Hundreds of people crowded the sidewalks, all jostling for enough room to move around each other and the multi-lanes of cars were packed onto the roads bumper to bumper.

Eventually, we reached the hotel. I gawked at the ornate and expensive looking façade that was the front of the Plaza, too stunned to move until Edward half dragged me to the door, which was held open by a smartly uniformed doorman.

We entered a huge reception area which, if it was even possible, was more lavishly expensive looking than the front had been. Carlisle was already checking us in at the counter and Alice, Jasper and Esme were all standing off to the side together, their cab having arrived before ours. We moved to join them, shortly followed by Rosalie and Emmett, who'd been overseeing the unloading of our luggage.

Alice giggled at my expression.

"Isn't it fantastic?" she asked proudly. Obviously this had been her idea too. I didn't know what to say. The thought of how much money this must have cost made me feel a little sick, so I just nodded numbly. Rosalie laughed gently.

"She's speechless," she murmured. Esme patted my arm affectionately.

"Don't think about it, dear," she advised me. "You're here to have fun, you needn't worry about anything else."

Carlisle joined us at that moment, along with a hotel staff member. Edward brushed a lock of hair away from my face, and his cool touch was comforting enough to bring me out of my daze. I smiled tentatively up at him and he returned it with his best crooked smile.

"Are you ready to see our room now?" he asked, that beautiful grin still in place. I took a deep breath.

"Sure."

Everyone else was headed for the elevator and we followed, all of us barely fitting in when the elevator arrived. Our guide looked uncomfortable and I held back a giggle, feeling sorry for the young man – his instincts were telling him that it wasn't good to be crammed into this small space with seven vampires. It still bewildered me that other people were so uneasy around the Cullens.

"Is he going to be alright?" I whispered to Edward, who gave me a curious look.

"He'll get over it," he answered. "How did you know?"

I smiled slyly. Obviously the guy had been thinking about how unnerved he was, and Edward had been listening.

"I can't read minds," I teased, "but he does look very awkward."

"How is it that I am always surprised when you get into one of your perceptive moods?" he murmured, nestling his face in my hair lovingly. I shivered as his cool breath tickled my neck.

We arrived at our floor at that moment, the elevator doors opening with a ding. The young man showing us to our rooms rushed out as soon as he could and made his way quickly down the gold and red corridor. He motioned to the four doors at the very end.

"These are your rooms," he said. "They are all of similar layout – one bedroom with an ensuite, a fully contained kitchen and living room. You have the key-cards." He managed a brief smile. "I hope you enjoy your stay at the Plaza."

With that, and a small bow of his head, he left. Jasper sighed with relief.

"Thank goodness he's gone – I was starting to get nervous of you all myself," he muttered. I noticed Alice move closer to Jasper's side, inconspicuously twisting her arm around his.

Carlisle, who had been looking at the cards in his hand speculatively, looked up and smiled at his children and I. He fanned the cards out and held them up.

"Shall we chose a key at random to decide on which room we'll have?"

oOo

Of course, the room was expensively decorated – everything was a crisp white, in an elegant French style, with generous accents of gold. The bathroom was especially ornate; white marble tiles glinted dully in the light of a gold chandelier and the silver-veined marble washstand and bathtub were both freestanding, sporting clubbed feet and faucets that looked like they were made of real gold. But it was the bed that stunned me the most.

This bed made Edward's seem small and simple in comparison. The dark wood of the four-poster frame, which was solidly thick but gracefully carved, contrasted strikingly with the otherwise light décor. The mattress it supported was like a giant marshmallow and wispy white material draped over the posts, billowing at the faintest stir in the air.

After I'd dragged Edward around to help me examine every painfully elaborate nook and cranny of our room, he called for room service. The food arrived half an hour later on a gold cart.

It was all too much.

On our first day in New York, we went shopping. All day. And I swear, Alice dragged me into every single shop in Manhattan. Most of the expensive boutiques had nothing for weddings, but Alice still managed to force me to try on a mountain of clothes at every one. As I modelled each outfit she would make me stand still in front of her for a second and her eyes would go momentarily blank, before she'd point out the items for my keep pile and the ones we wouldn't by buying.

"But it's too tight!" I objected when Alice insisted on a short pencil-line skirt of which I'd barely been able to do up the zip. "Why do you keep getting the clothes that _don't_ fit me – it's a complete waste of money!"

Alice rolled her eyes and pulled my head down so that she could reach my ear. Even though her lips were so close that they were brushing against my skin, I could only just hear her words.

"They're for _later_," she breathed. "Your body will be a little different once you've changed into a vampire. Trust me – you'll thank me soon enough."

But dead feet, endlessly trying on outfits and the growing mountain of ill-fitting clothes were the least of my problems. All of this – as horrible as it was – could have been bearable, and possibly almost enjoyable…

If I'd been with Edward. But I wasn't. Somehow, Alice had convinced Edward that he was to go with Rosalie and the other guys for their suit fittings while she, Esme and I went shopping and Alice had her fitting for her bridesmaid dress. The dress that she had finally decided on didn't come in a size small enough to fit her – Alice being so much closer to the build of a child than your average woman – and so the designer had insisted that she come in for a fitting so that her dress could be specially made. Of course, it hadn't taken him much to convince her.

I got her back for separating me from Edward after we'd returned to the hotel. Safe with Edward once more, I wasn't really upset with her, but when she insisted that we 'all' eat dinner in the hotel restaurant, I just couldn't resist. I agreed that it was a good idea – but she had to actually eat.

It was entertaining to watch her disgusted expression as she slowly forced down a Caesar salad, and the smirk on Edward's face told me that her thoughts were just as hilarious. She was particularly bothered when I allowed the rest of the family to simply break up their food and scatter it in the pot plants next to us.

It was even funnier, however, when we called a waiter over to clear our plates and make way for dessert. Though Alice's salad had only been a very small serving, she had only managed to eat half of it and the waiter noticed.

"Did you not enjoy the Caesar salad, madam?" he asked discreetly as he piled our dishes onto his cart.

"It was quite pleasant, thank you," she lied. Edward snorted very quietly as she struggled to smile winsomely at the man.

The waiter nodded silently, and soon moved away to bring out dessert. When he returned, he presented her with a larger chocolate mousse than she had ordered, a great smile spread across his face.

"Compliments of the chef – he is very sorry that you did not fully enjoy your main course."

It was very hard stop myself from laughing hysterically, and it was probably a good thing that Edward was staring very determinedly at the far corner of the room. I don't think I could have contained myself, even for as long as I did, if I had caught his eye.

Needless to day, Alice was put out with me for the rest of the evening, as she was forced to eat the entire glass of mousse while appearing to enjoy it. By the time we all headed up to our rooms, it was surprisingly late – we'd spent a lot of time chatting about our shopping experiences during the day, and the Cullens regaled me with some of the many amusing moments that had come up during Rosalie's and Emmett's weddings over the years.

So, it was with great relief that I curled up against Edward in the colossal bed in our room. I fell asleep almost as soon as my eyes were closed, to the sound of Edward gently humming my lullaby.


	11. Chapter 11: My Hero

**A/N – Hey, look who's finally updating!! Don't get too excited though, I'm afraid I have bad news if you really like this fic... I'm putting it on permanent hiatus. :'( Believe me, I hate doing this, but I just can't keep it going. For two reasons, really. First, I've got such majorly bad writer's block on this that I'm starting to think that I've taken a wrong turn somewhere. In any case, the characters refuse to talk to me for very long whenever I open this story to start writing. Second, the real **_**Breaking Dawn**_** is finally being released in only a short month or two. This is a problem for the story because a) I won't finish this by then and b) continuing after I've read the actual story is pointless to me because it becomes completely out of canon (even if some of my ideas turn out to be right).**

**Now, don't despair just yet! Because I love you all so much, I've decided that I'm going to post up all of the fragmented bits that I've already written for your personal enjoyment! There's about the equivalent of... maybe four chapters? I'll leave this story up and running until Breaking Dawn, and then I'll take some of my favourite chapters out and add them to the other oneshots in 'A first time for everything'. If you have any favourite chapters that you'd like to see me keep, please let me know in your Reviews!!**

* * *

Our second day in New York wasn't nearly so eventful. Esme, Alice and Rosalie hadn't been hunting in a while – and the sun wouldn't have allowed us to do much anyway – so they ran out of the hotel before dawn. That left me at the hotel with the guys.

As much as I would have been quite happy to spend the entire day lying next to Edward in our room while we watched movies, I insisted we join Emmett, Jasper and Carlisle. I realised that Edward hadn't been able to spend much time with his family lately, and it made me feel guilty for always jeopardising his relationship them.

We joined them in Alice and Jasper's room, which they all decided had the best TV – they all looked the same to me – and the boys were already engrossed in a game of _Call of Duty 4_. Somehow, Emmett and Jasper had managed to fit the Playstation and all its paraphernalia into their small luggage.

"Hey, you decided you'd join us then," Emmett whooped as Carlisle closed the door behind us. "Suck it up Jasper!"

Jasper sighed heavily, and Edward and Carlisle chuckled. I looked between them in confusion. Edward smiled.

"Jasper bet that we'd just stay in our room all day," he explained. "Now he has to let Emmett choose the next game."

I nodded, pretending to understand why that was funny. I was sure I'd find out soon enough anyway. Carlisle sat down at the table, which was covered in paperwork and Edward and I wandered to the couch.

"D'you want to play, Edward?" Jasper asked hopefully. "We haven't even finished the second level yet, so we can start again if you want in."

Edward looked at the controller his brother was offering, and then glanced at my face in indecision. I grabbed the controller and pushed it into his hands.

"I don't mind," I said with a smile.

He didn't take much convincing, and soon the three of them were locked in an epic fight for the survival of the fittest. I watched for a while, laughing at the severe concentration on their faces as they tried again and again to use their vampire speed in the human paced game. Their unconscious snarls and growls of frustration, far from scaring me, were amusing.

But, after an hour or so when the game was still in full swing, I started to get bored. I wandered over to the table and quietly sat beside Carlisle, who was pouring over a pile of papers. Not wanting to disturb him from his work, I craned my neck to see what they were. They looked like forms of various sorts and I leaned closer, scrunching my eyes, to get a better view.

"For our new identities when we start over in a few months," Carlisle said suddenly.

I jumped slightly, looking up at his face. He smiled calmly back.

"New identities?" I asked, picking up the closest form to inspect it.

"Birth Certificates, school records, driving licenses, my Medical degree…" he explained, "all of them must be re-forged every time we move on."

I frowned slightly. "Haven't you ever been caught out though? I thought there's supposed to be people who watch out for that kind of thing."

"No, we haven't been found out yet," he laughed gently. "When you have the advantage of super human senses, a greater mental capacity and an eternity to perfect copying skills, not to mention Edward's and Alice's gifts, it is not particularly difficult to avoid suspicion."

"Don't forget the computer that Rose built," Emmett piped up after he was blown up, yet again, by Jasper.

"Ah yes, Rosalie's computer," Carlisle sighed, with a curious expression.

Edward's head snapped around to look at his father for a moment. "I just hadn't found the right opportunity," he said irritably, obviously answering Carlisle's thoughts.

Carlisle nodded. "Of course, I wasn't implying that you were deliberately hiding it from her," he replied lightly and I understood. He'd wondered why Edward hadn't shown it to me yet.

"So, what about this computer?" I asked. "How would it help with forging documents?"

Emmett and Edward had already turned back to the game, leaving Carlisle to explain and I waited expectantly.

I wasn't really surprised to learn that, after Alice had a particularly detailed vision, she and Rosalie had worked together to build a computer much more advanced than anything yet on the market. It was so advanced that, once the Internet was connected, they could access any computer in the world without leaving a trace of their being there and this all happened long before the average person even had access to a basic desktop.

"Any computer in the world?" I'd choked a little when Carlisle mentioned that. He nodded appreciatively.

"That's right. The few we were unable to hack into ourselves were government files," he grinned, "which are, of course, the ones we need most access to. As you can imagine, however, it took Edward only a matter of moments to gather all of the information we needed to gain admission to these as well."

"Why would you need unlimited access to government files?" I frowned. Carlisle chuckled.

"To change our records so that they agree with these documents we go to all the trouble to forge," he explained. "It's only a matter of changing a few dates, really, but you can understand why the personal details of the entire nation might be under heavy security."

I nodded and looked again at the paper I was holding in my hand. It was a blank outline for a birth certificate from Illinois. Of course, I knew that there must be a bit of illegal paperwork in restarting their lives a new town every few years, but the offhand way in which the Cullens dealt with it took me a little off guard. I guessed the novelty must wear off a bit after you'd done it a couple of hundred times.

"So-" I paused, not sure if I wanted to complete my question. Carlisle gave me an encouraging nod. "I suppose you'll be forging documents for me as well this time."

"Not quite yet," he murmured, seeming to understand the uncertainty I felt at the idea. "You won't be able to interact with anyone for a few years, but when you are ready we will create a new identity for your vampire life and stage some sort of accident to 'kill' your human identity."

I nodded thoughtfully. "That makes sense," I allowed. Emmett chose that moment to interrupt the conversation.

"Man, Jasper!" he yowled over the sound of another explosion. "I'm sick of getting blown up. We should play something where you don't have to think so much all the time."

"You just can't handle someone beating you at something," Jasper retorted.

The look that crossed Emmett's face at the jibe was predictably comical. Edward sighed and rolled his eyes as an evil smile, which usually accompanied a challenge, spread across his brawny brother's face.

"How about we settle this properly?" Emmett suggested. "You and me – outside, right now. I don't need Alice around to know that you'll lose."

Jasper rolled his eyes. "We're not at home, you moron, we can't go outside."

"Oh."

The excitement on Emmett's face only left for a moment, before he'd thought of something else. Edward shook his head now.

**And that's as far as I got, in-sequence-wise. I'd planned for Emmett to challenge Jasper to a 'Guitar Hero' game, and he was gonna whoop butt, though Bella was more impressed with how well Edward played... However, Jasper kept insisting that he would win because he plays guitar, and Emmett continued to argue (like only he can) that he was gonna win simply because he's awesome. I eventually got sick of trying to figure it out, and went to write something else :P**

**I'll update in a couple of days with a little scene that I'm in love with (kinda fluffy...) but I was having difficulty placing it in the story. Because it's only short, I'll also include the rough outline I had worked out for the rest of the story.**

**Please review!! .**


	12. Outtake 1 & layout

**A/N—So this is the first of the 'outtakes' I'm offering. Although it's only very short, I love it... in fact, I might even wind it into a little one-shot if I get enough good reviews ;) The reason I wasn't able to include it in the story so-far is I couldn't get it to fit just right. Every time I tried, the tension didn't seem to have built up enough to warrant it.**

**I'm also including a brief outline of how the rest of this story was heading... just in case it wasn't totally predictable. I hope you enjoy—and **_**please**_** review!**

* * *

His lips on mine were intense with desire. As I held myself closer to him, I could almost feel how much effort he had to expend trying to hold himself back – every muscle in his body was tensed. I tried to stop kissing him for a moment, to give him a bit of space to relax, and felt an inaudible growl rumble through his chest. Eventually, I extricated my face from his long enough to speak.

"Edward… Edward just stop and think for a moment – we're in my house… Charlie is in the room next door… we can't get carried away," I whispered, breathing heavily. He rolled off me reluctantly, out of breath as well, but kept a firm hold on my hand.

"I don't know how much longer I'm going to be able to handle this, Bella," he murmured into the dark. "Your pull on me grows even more unbearable with every minute I must wait."

I smiled and shook my head, concentrating on calming the frantic staccato my heart was beating out.

"Well, now you know how I felt before," I replied. "It serves you right."

"Before?" he objected, practically purring. "I very much doubt that you are no longer affected by this… yearning."

His hand crawled across my stomach in the dark and he inched closer to me again. My breathing hitched up a notch but I remained perfectly still; mesmerized by the sensation.

* * *

**Layout – **

**NY—Asks Emmett to perform marriage but Carlisle wants to do it, go to Broadway with boys, shopping**

**After NY, Bella sleeps most of day. Edward goes home and Bella is getting ready for bed, she worries about Jacob, as she hasn't heard from him since she told him her choice**

**Calls Jake, Billy says that he's not home but he'll say she called when he gets back**

**Bella feels bad that he is hurt, but convinces herself that he will live through it – thinks that he'll even be happy if he imprints on someone**

**Calls the Blacks, but no one answers and she leaves a message for Jacob, but she feels like something's wrong (Jacob's been gone for a week)**

**Hang around at Cullens', Alice begins calling to check bookings – caterer, minister, band – and her tactics to get them to come make Bella laugh **

**Makes a comment that she's worried about Jacob (Emmett asks how the Quilutes are going) and it is Rosalie that comforts her most.**

**Renee calls. She got the invitation and makes plans for when she will come to Forks. Insists on talking to Alice for details on what's happening.**

**Edward, Carlisle, Jasper and Bella go to La Push to renegotiate the treaty so that Bella can be changed. Jake hasn't returned and she finally finds out that he's missing. **

**Edward organises a double date with Ben and Angela. They go bowling. **

**Alice and Angela take Bella honeymoon shopping They go into a day-spa, have facials, manicure, pedicure, etc**

**Jake calls—he hasn't come back, but he heard about her reaction and wants to reassure her that he's ok. He won't tell her where he is or if he'll come back. **

**Still hasn't written vows, ask Rose for help; watches Edward write music & knows what to say.**

**Cleaning house and Jacob turns up. Tells her about where he was, etc—he has imprinted on a Mahkah girl**

**Next day, goes to La Push for last time before wedding, meets the girl Jacob imprinted on. Bella is jealous and rude to the girl at first, but she's such a sweet, unassuming girl that she can't stay angry. **

**It's a sunny day and Edward convinces Bella to come to their meadow for some alone time, which they haven't had for over a week**

**Talk about the wedding, Bella is a little excited and nervous**

**Edward asks if she has thought about where she'd like to go to for their honeymoon**

**Bella wants Edward to change her on their honeymoon, but he convinces her that she has to come back to Forks first, to officially move away, and then he'll change her when they move to Alaska**

**Renee and Phil arrive**

**Bella spends the day with Renee while the Cullens go hunting (tell Renee that they will be setting up for the wedding)**

**Renee talks about how she is still a little concerned for Bella, but can see that she really loves Edward and is sure they will be happy together**

**Angela and Alice have planned a surprise bridal shower, which Renee knew about and brings her to Angela's house (Rose, Esme and Alice come home early from hunt)**

**The wedding rehearsal and the Cullen's house**

**All stay for rehearsal dinner (which Esme cooked) afterwards, Charlie jokingly wonders if Bella will have as little an appetite as the other Cullens when she is married**

**The day of the wedding**

**Alice comes over early to take Bella to the house and get her ready for the wedding, she is not allowed to see Edward**

**Jacob shows up because Tala convinced him to go. He's happy to see her happy.**

**The wedding night (enough said…) **

**Leave on honeymoon a few days later. They go to a private island off the coast of Western Australia (Alice has seen overcast days on which they will travel)**

**Bella and the Cullens officially move away from Forks. Carlisle and Esme tell everyone that they want to be closer to all of their children now that they're all at college.**

**Edward changes Bella. Bella's first few days of being a vampire. And her power.**

**Finish with epilogue from years later, Bella has finished telling Edward everything she remembers of being human and he's amazed at how much she was able to retain. Bella and Edward run into the forest together, hand in hand. (very fluffy and make sure to outline all the differences in Bella and their relationship)**


	13. Outtake 2

**A/N—This takes place in the plot less than a week before the wedding. Don't ask me why I randomly wrote this when I really was nowhere near it in the rest of my writing, but it just came to ve very vividly. It's actually a normal chapter length, so enjoy!!**

* * *

With Edward gone hunting and Alice finally finished the planning of the wedding, I found myself – for the first time in a month – with nothing I had to do and nowhere I had to be. After moping a little over breakfast, and convincing Charlie that I would be fine by myself for the day, I decided to use my unwelcome free time constructively.

Though I'd made sure that I took care of the bare essentials whenever I could find a spare moment, the house was definitely showing my neglect. So, armed with gloves, a scrubbing brush and several different cleaning agents, I started to make the house presentable before Renée arrived at the end of the week.

I was up to my elbows with suds, scrubbing vigorously at the rather disgraceful floor of the bathroom when a husky chuckle behind me made me jump out of my skin. I spun around, my hand on my frantically thumping heart and my eyes near popping out of their sockets, to find Jacob standing in the doorway.

"Have you ever noticed that you always seem to be cleaning when I visit you?" he asked, his eyebrows raised in amusement. I took a long, shuddering breath.

"Jake – you nearly gave me a heart attack!" I scolded, the severity of my tone ruined by my breathlessness. "I wish you'd learn to knock. I don't have super-sonic hearing, you know." Yet.

He chuckled again and leant against the doorframe, his arms crossed carelessly. I scrutinised his face. Again, I noticed a slight difference there – an intensity in his eyes, which had always used to be there when he looked at me, was gone **(a/n - at the time I wrote this, I 'd planned that Jake would've come back a couple of days before and she went to La Push with Charlie to see him)**. I'd never really noticed it before, but now it was conspicuous in its absence.

I wondered what this meant. Had it really only taken so short a time as a few weeks for him to get over me? After he'd fought for me for so long, it didn't seem likely. Not Jacob – the one who held grudges religiously, who clung to his every conviction like his life depended on that one belief alone.

Then, was he pretending? Was he, like he'd promised that fateful day I broke both of our hearts, consciously trying to be good? No, this wasn't something he was doing himself. There was something too… natural in this new expression. Something had physically changed in Jacob Black. But what?

He cleared his throat, and laughed when my eyes blinked back into focus.

"I know I'm really hot and all, but it's rude to stare," he teased. Was that nervousness in his tone? Jacob was never nervous.

I shook my head, laughing with him as I stood up. I dried off my arms with an old towel and stepped carefully out of the hazardously wet bathroom. I surprised myself by not slipping.

"What's up, Jake?" I asked, my curiosity burning.

He must have something to tell me, I decided. I'd only seen him two nights ago – what could possibly have changed in the one day we'd been apart? I grimaced mentally. I was living proof that a lot could happen in a few short hours. Jacob shrugged.

"Is it so hard to believe that I just wanted to see you?" he asked, not quite meeting my eyes.

My hands went to my hips and I raised an eyebrow mockingly. Now I knew something was up. A grin flashed on Jacob's face when he saw my stance, and he shrugged again.

"What is it Jake?" I insisted.

His brow furrowed in a frown of concentration, and he unconsciously took my right hand in both of his.

"Why don't we go sit down?"

He led me, at a shuffling crawl, down the stairs and into the small living room. We sat down on Charlie's dilapidated couch, the springs groaning under Jacob's muscular weight, in silence. He fiddled with my fingers, staring at them intently. The rich russet of his skin contrasted darkly with my own, which was nearly translucent. His warmth was familiar, yet strange. No longer mine.

I studied his features, allowing him to gather his thoughts in silence – trying to be patient. He seemed to be struggling to find the right words. Though I could tell by his careful deliberation that this obviously wasn't a matter of great urgency, I was strangely anxious. I steeled myself to hear something that I didn't really want to know.

"Just spit it out Jacob," I teased nervously. "Don't give yourself brain damage."

His bark of laughter was tense, but it seemed to bring him out of the uncharacteristically thoughtful daze.

"Sorry," he muttered. "I just don't know how you're going to take this."

I smiled sadly. Nothing he said could possibly be worse than what I'd had to say to him. His worry was needless.

"You can tell me anything, Jake. I promise I won't be upset."

He lifted his head, and his dark gaze bored into me. His eyes shone with a slightly wild light that was unfamiliar to me, but he spoke hesitantly.

"Bella, do you remember that day you ran away to come visit me that first time… after Edward came back?" I nodded, a little taken aback by the track he'd taken. "Do you remember what we talked about?"

"We talked about a lot of things that day, Jake. I don't understand where you're going with this," I complained.

He nodded, smiling slightly. That wild light in his eyes grew brighter, in response to his thoughts I assumed. I stared back at him, confused. This new expression was completely unfamiliar – it was not the Jacob I had loved.

"Well, while I was… gone, I was at the Mahkah res and I met… someone."

"Oh."

The pieces of information fell into place in my mind with an almost audible chink. That day at the beach, Jacob had explained some very key facts about werewolves that I'd been unaware of.

Was he trying to tell me that he had finally imprinted?

The confusion of emotion that came with this realisation was difficult for me to understand. Surely, this news should be welcome to me? I should be happy – that Jacob had now, also, found something that overruled a soul mate, that I no longer had to worry about leaving him behind in this human world, that he could know the same happiness as me…

Then why were tears threatening to spill over in my eyes? Why were my hands shaking, and why, _why_ was that tear in the smaller half of my heart aching? I took a moment to control myself, and eventually managed to smile up at him.

"You imprinted?" I clarified, trying to saturate my voice with joy for him. Under the pain, I _was_ happy.

His answering smile was ecstatic, though his eyes were soft with a surprising understanding, a hint of pain that told me that he knew how I was feeling. I could never fool him.

"You can cry if you need to," he told me gently. "I was so angry with myself when I realised what had happened. I'd promised myself – and you – that there would never be anyone else but you. But… it's even more difficult to explain when you've gone through it yourself. I just couldn't _help_ it…"

And with that, the whole story spilled out. He told me how messed up he'd been by my final decision. How he'd struggled for an entire week to stop the pain, how he'd felt so useless, angry… and broken. I'd winced at this open admission of what I'd done to him, but there didn't seem to be any pain in it for him anymore.

I was horrified when he told me about the wedding invitation Edward had sent him against my wishes, and how it had finally sent him over the edge. I made a mental note to berate Edward about that later. I could almost feel his hurt as told me how he'd sprinted through the forests, and I could understand the desperate need he felt to just keep going forever.

But, I had to laugh when he told me what made him stop. It was so ridiculously… ordinary.

"It's not that funny," he whined, when I continued to giggle, clutching at my slightly aching stomach. "You have no idea how much energy we use up when we're in our wolf form for a long time. And do you know how sick you feel if you eat when you're still a wolf, and then transform back? I can tell you now – the taste of raw meat takes ages to get rid of."

I let out another chuckle. "Sorry, Jake," I murmured. "But really – you stopped because you got _hungry_?"

And that, it seemed, was his 'fatal mistake'. As he'd been running back through the very far side of the Mahkah reservation, he'd caught a whiff of something cooking in a nearby house. Realising that he couldn't stay in wolf form much longer anyway if he didn't want the others to find him yet, he'd decided that he may as well ask if the people in the house could spare him a meal.

He'd transformed back – I didn't dare ask him what he'd done about clothes, suspecting that he had deliberately left out this detail due to embarrassment – and knocked on the door. A smile of pure exaltation lit his face as he told me about that moment, leaving me in awe.

"And there she was," he murmured, far away in his memory. "She opened the door and all I could do was stare. It was incredible… like nothing else in the entire universe was the same anymore. Nothing mattered anymore but her… Tala."

As I took in the absolute joy on his face, I found that my eyes were misting up again. I understood, completely, what Jacob meant. Though Edward, being a vampire not a werewolf, hadn't exactly imprinted on me, we were connected in a similar, irrevocably permanent way. My heartstrings twinged at the thought that Jacob was no longer mine. What a stupid reaction.

"I'm so glad for you, Jacob," I murmured, wrapping my arms around his waist in a hug. A few tears slipped onto my cheeks.

"I'm sorry, Bella," was his reply. "I know this must be hurting you. But I really had no control over it."

"Don't be stupid," I chuckled weakly. "I'm glad you're happy now. I was so worried what would happen to you when I'm… gone."

I pulled out of his embrace. His face, unconsciously, had returned to a look of utter peace. I now understood that wild gleam in his eyes – it was Tala's Jacob. I wondered what this girl was like.

"So," I asked, trying to be casual, "when do I get to meet this Tala?"


	14. Outtake 3

**A/N—and I've finally gotten it to you. The last scene that I wrote... the first day of their married lives. It's only short, but I love it... I think it's incredibly sweet. Please let me know if you agree! **

**Well, I'm sorry that I wasn't able to finish the whole story in time. But really, I'm not even going to try to beat Breaking Dawn. It was just too good. And if anyone disagrees, then that's your problem, because I thought it was A-MAZ-ing. **

* * *

We stood in the doorframe and waved as they quickly melted away into the forest, pale blurs to my sight in their speed. Edward's arm around me tightened infinitesimally and I looked up to find him gazing at me with deep intensity. Butterflies erupted in my stomach at that look as his face inched slowly closer to mine.

Before I could comprehend anything other than the urgent movement of his cold lips on mine, I was in his arms and flying through the house to his bedroom. As he placed me carefully in the middle of his giant bed and stared at my prone form for a moment, I felt suddenly nervous. I'd been waiting for weeks for this to come and, now that the time had finally arrived, I didn't know what to expect. Was there something special I was supposed to do? What if I wasn't good enough?

Edward must have noticed the nervous change in my heart's beating, as he slid onto the bed with me and, ever so slowly, he took my face between his hands and kissed me deeply, banishing any further thought. My blood was boiling in my veins as his lips moved to the corner of my jaw and he whispered.

"Relax, Bella – don't think," his voice was seductively smooth, rich like melted chocolate.

His hands began to slowly slide from my face, down the length of my neck to the buttons at the top of my shirt, leaving a trail of fire from his icy touch. I shivered from the sensation, and his mouth was at my ear once more.

"Don't worry… I swear I won't hurt you." I couldn't muster the will power to form the words and answer that I wasn't worried. I already knew he would never hurt me.

Instead, I pulled his lips back to mine and ran my fingers through his soft bronze hair, pulling his face as close to mine as possible. He shifted slightly over me, moving so that he was straddled over one of my legs, and I could feel the entire length of his body resting lightly on my own. And then he unfastened the top button of my blouse, moving his lips to brush along my throat.

As he twisted each button open, he let his fingers trail along the exposed skin and his lips moved further down to my collar bone… to my chest. I shivered again at the feeling of his cool caresses. When he had released the very last button, he brushed my blouse open and leaned back to admire his handiwork. I struggled to remove it completely and, when I finally freed my arms from the sleeves, he tossed it aside. His lips curled back into an amused smile when he saw my lacy, deep blue bra – his favourite colour on me.

While his eyes memorised each new inch of my body, I took advantage of his raised body and began to remove his own shirt. I didn't have the same patience as he did – I tweaked the buttons open as quickly as I could, to reveal his marble chest all the sooner. When I was done, he quickly shrugged it off his shoulders and it joined mine in a pile on the floor.

I ran my fingers up and down the perfectly defined muscles of his chest, arms and back. He moaned softly and caught one of my hands in his and brought it to his mouth. As he kissed each of my fingertips, I held tightly to his arm with my other hand.

I shivered as he ran the tip of his tongue along the inside of my middle finger to my palm, which he kissed, and then to my wrist where he stopped to inhale deeply the heightened scent of my blood. He smiled as my heart rate accelerated further and my breath grew still shorter. The smile never leaving his face, he continued to run his nose in a cool line up the inside of my arm, randomly kissing and licking the sensitive skin. It made me shiver each time. Then, after placing my hand behind his head, he moved in an unbroken line along my shoulder, up the inside of my throat to my lips.

"I love you…" he murmured onto my lips, his voice unusually rough and his breathing erratic. I opened my eyes and stared into the golden depths of his own.

"I love you too," I managed to breathe in reply.

oOo

When I woke in the morning, I was greeted by the most exquisite vision I could ever imagine – Edward's face filled with an ecstatic smile, his bottomless amber eyes intense, as he watched me stir in the circle of his arms. The length of his naked body was cool and smooth as polished marble next to mine and I melted further into his arms, relishing the sensation.

He kissed me affectionately on the top of my head and began tracing random patterns in the small of my back. His fluttering fingers tickled and I giggled.

"Good morning Sleeping Beauty."

I nestled my face into his chest and lightly pressed my lips to his pale skin. My eyes closed lazily as he hummed a quiet yet upbeat tune. I wished that I could lay there forever, safe and secure in his cool embrace. But my stomach was of an inevitably different opinion and it growled hungrily, cutting short my stay in my personal heaven.

Edward chuckled and I sighed at my errant stomach.

"Would you like me to make you breakfast?" he asked.

I nodded and shifted to lie on my back as he slid off the bed. I watched him closely as he snagged his emerald green boxers from the top of our pile of clothes and slipped them on. I'd have to remember to ask him to wear that colour much more often – the contrast it made with his pale skin was… delicious.

He caught me staring, and I blushed red as his eyebrow arched at me. His answering chuckle was surprisingly unsteady. He crawled slowly back to lie next to me on the bed, the thin sheet forming a flimsy sheild from the iciness of his skin.

"You weren't... staring, where you Mrs Cullen?" he crooned, his smile alluring, his eyes smoldering brightly.

Early morning sunhine shattered into a spectacular halo around him. I traced the line of light on his shoulder with a single finger, still as facinated as the first time. His eyes drooped half-closed and he purred—a thrilling vibration of contentment that I'd become familiar with during the night. It had become my new favourite sound in all the universe.

"You have no idea how tempting you are," he moaned as my single finger moved down the lines of his perfect torso and up again. I was teasing him now. "How hard to resist..."

"Then don't," I breathed.

And his eyes were open, boring into mine. The yearning there was familiar—it was my own. I reached up to draw him closer, my tongue straining behind my firmly clamped teeth; desperate to explore, to _taste_...

His mouth crashed into mine hungrily and I sighed with pleasure. I would take all that I could get, and this; this was enough for now. He was under the sheet with me again, and I relished the freshness of his cold, smooth, hard body pressed against mine eagerly.

How we had lasted so long against this need was impossible to fathom now. I could spend eternity like this, with him—and very soon I would. We would: together.


End file.
